As a growing number of teen girls participate in sports, doctors need to watch for health problems that can develop when these athletes exercise too much and don’t eat enough calories, some sports medicine experts argue. Taken together, the health issues – disordered eating, a halt in monthly menstrual cycles known as amenorrhea and a bone-thinning disease known as osteoporosis – are known as the female athlete triad. Girls may have just one of these problems or a combination, in varying degrees, according to the authors of a recent clinical guidance report in Pediatrics. While sports can have tremendous benefits like improved self-esteem and better physical and mental health, doctors, coaches and parents need to be aware that some teens can take training to extremes.
Teen Girls Who Play Sports Should Watch Out For These Worrying Health Signs
