---
title: Does what elite young female athletes eat affect their menstrual cycles?
description: Yes. Athletes who ate enough carbohydrates did not have menstrual problems. This suggests that adequate calories and carbohydrates may help maintain regular p
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/dietary-intake-and-menstrual-cycle-changes-in-international-level-young-athletes-2021/
---

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- Does what elite young female athletes eat affect their menstrual cycles?

Survey study, 2021

# Does what elite young female athletes eat affect their menstrual cycles?

Yes. Athletes who ate enough carbohydrates did not have menstrual problems. This suggests that adequate calories and carbohydrates may help maintain regular periods.

 Early or limited evidence

16 elite female rowers, age 16-18, preparing for international competition

## What they did

Study of 16 elite teenage female rowers age 16-18 preparing for international competition. Researchers measured their diet, carbohydrate intake, body weight and composition, anxiety levels, and menstrual cycles.

## What they found

Dietary energy intake increased during the study period. No athletes experienced menstrual problems after getting sufficient carbohydrate intake. The study concluded that adequate energy and carbohydrate intake may improve menstrual function, and nutrition may have more effect on the menstrual cycle than psychological stress.

## What it means for you

For young female athletes, eating enough and getting enough carbohydrates may help prevent menstrual problems. This was a very small study of elite rowers, so results may not apply to other young women or non-athletes. The study did not compare athletes with different diets, so we cannot be certain that nutrition causes better cycles.

16

elite rowers studied

16-18

age range in years

## About the study

Original title Dietary intake and menstrual cycle changes in international level young athletes Authors Miyamoto M, Hanatani Y, Shibuya K Journal The Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness Year 2021 Study design Survey study Read the paper [doi.org/10.23736/s0022-4707.20.11392-6](https://doi.org/10.23736/s0022-4707.20.11392-6)

## Topics

[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Anxiety and tension](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-anxiety/)[Diet and nutrition](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-diet/)[Adolescents and young people](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-adolescents/)[Athletes and sport](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-athletes/)

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