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.
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
Topics
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