How Female Athlete Triad Affects Your Performance?
The prerequisite for optimum levels in sports performance is not just good training but also a carefully maintained health. Female athlete triad is one of the most potential causes of poor sports performance among female athletes. Since the disease is a combination of mutually accelerating diseases like osteoporosis, anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, any study of its impact on sports performance involve individual assessment of the constituents of the triad.
Effects of Osteoporosis on Sports Performance
Osteoporosis leaves bones more prone to fractures. Since osteoporosis leads to a depletion in bone mineral density, the effects of the disease have a most adverse effect on sports performance. They include the following:
- Makes the athlete more prone to stress fractures
- Cascading effect of fractures which makes the condition recurring
- Severe pain in the joints owing to depleted bone mineral density
- Permanent alteration in body posture leaving the athlete virtually handicapped
- Muscle weakness making it difficult to maintain performance levels.
Effects of Amenorrhea on Sports Performance
Secondary amenorrhea refers to the fluctuations in the menstrual cycles characterized by one or more menstrual periods less a year. Stress factors, lack of nutritious food and depleted fat levels can contribute to amenorrhea. Amenorrhea results in the imbalance of hormones like estrogen and progesterone both of which are associated with regulating functions of the body in females in addition to reproductive functions. Depleted estrogen levels affect cardiovascular system, brain and bones. Progesterone is mainly associated with thermoregulation. Since estrogen also functions like an antioxidant depleted estrogen levels can make the immune system weaker. Also depleted estrogen production adversely affects metabolism (fat burning) and protein synthesis. Amenorrhea affects the sports performance levels in the following ways:
- By being instrumental in bone mineral density
- Leaving the muscles weaker
- Causing fatigue
- Making body more prone to diseases
- By being a potential cause of osteoporosis.
Types of Eating Disorders in Female Athlete Triad
In female athlete triad two types of eating disorders are identified. They are anorexia nervosa characterized by an excessive fear of weight gain, and bulimia nervosa characterized by uncontrolled appetite. Some doctors use the term anorexia athletica to distinguish the former from the pathological version common among females.
How Eating Disorders Affect Sports Performance?
Effect of eating disorders on sports performance is determined by the following factors:
- Duration of the eating disorders
- Nature of the sport.
Eating disorders deny the body enough nutrition to cope with the energy requirements of the competition. Decrease in the intake of calcium, and potassium has serious implications like decalcification and reduced bone mineral density. In addition, anemia, amenorrhea, and psychological problems like a low self- esteem and self-criticism are also its after effects. Eating disorders affect the performance in the following ways:
- Creating more than expected fatigue owing to depleted glycogen levels
- Causing hypothermia making the athlete unable to perform on hot days
- Causing dehydration which adversely affect performance
- Causing gastrointestinal problems
- Resulting in poor wound healing
- Causing law rest heart rate
- Making body prone to fractures
- Creating a poor self-image
- Causing anxiety and stress.
In other words female athlete triad has an adverse effect on sports performance, in many ways. So, sportswomen are advised to get it treated as soon as possible for a better sports career.