Female Athletes: Special Consideration for Exercise

Exercise promotes good health and well-being in women of all ages. Making the right choices ensures safety and success. Getting girls involved in organized sports and exercise at a young age will keep their bodies strong, and their minds disciplined. Soccer, swimming, gymnastics, bicycling, and dance are just a few possibilities. Begin any new sport or exercise program gradually, and be sure to learn proper training methods.

Women often begin sports and fitness training later in their lives than men do. Because bones and connective tissues need many years of training to be strong for vigorous activity, the risk for injury is high for female athletes who have not exercised consistently. They need to work themselves slowly into sports and fitness programs. Overuse injuries are more common in females than males. Stress fractures and disorders of the hip and knee are common.

A serious problem for female athletes is known as the "female athlete triad." It is a shared

relationship with eating disorders, menstrual problems, and stress fractures. It begins with severely restricted eating and intense workouts. Over time, a woman's body fat level may drop below the level necessary for the normal production of estrogen. Irregular periods or cessation of menses may occur. Osteoporosis may also develop. This disease causes bones to de-mineralize and become thin and brittle. The outcome may result in stress fractures in younger women and full fractures in older women.

Female athletes need to feed their bodies well if they want to prevent the problems of the triad. They need to eat many, small, low-fat meals. The meals should be rich in calcium, iron, B-12, protein, and carbohydrates, such as grains, fruits, and vegetables. Diets should include 800 to 1,200 mg of calcium a day. This is 3 to 4 servings of low-fat milk, yogurt, or other calcium-rich foods. If red meat is not eaten, iron and B-12 supplements may be required. Small meals eaten often will stop hunger pangs, provide fuel and fluid for workouts, and increase the metabolic rate.

Weight training is important to the female athlete. Women need to balance upper and lower body work to achieve a balanced overall body strength. Weight lifting programs that are done 2 or 3 times a week increase bone density, decrease fat, and improve muscle definition. They can improve sports performance, as well.

Women with low-risk pregnancies can continue to exercise safely. They need to follow the recommendations of their health care provider.

The specialists at Saint Vincent Sports Medicine offer PPT – Performance, Prevention and Treatment – strategies for athletes of all ages. For more information about the exercise that’s right for you, contact Saint Vincent Sports Medicine at 814-866-3466.

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.