Introduction
Athletics and fitness play a comprehensive role in ensuring that individual’s gain adequate health. This is evident by the fact athletes are often found to be healthier than people who seldom engage in any form of exercise. It is also crucial to note that the positive implications of athletics are not limited to assuring robust health alone. Instead, the positive implications of sports extend to the fact that it enhances an individual’s academic performance, not forgetting the fact that it reduces the occurrence of depression. This analysis depicts the manner in which sports play a colossal role in enhancing an individual’s well-being. Despite the above connoted positive implications of athletics, it is essential to note that there are certain negative implications emanating from intense participation in athletics. Female Athlete Triad occurs as one of the primary disorders that have been closely linked with intense participation in sports by females (Williams, 2012).
Discussion
While much has been hypothesized regarding Female Athlete Triad, it is of immense significance to note that this condition primarily refers to an evident disorder that occurs mainly amongst female athletes. Evidently, this condition arises from the close association between bone mineral density, energy availability and menstrual function. Notably, this condition is characterized by three primary components including disordered eating, osteoporosis, and amenorrhea, which are closely related. Disordered eating as one of the primary components of Female Athlete Triad occurs in cases where female athletes are prompted to restrict food intake in order ti achieve the desired body shape. It is imperative to note there often exists an innate drive for thin body shapes amongst female athletes (Williams, 2012). This result in an imbalance in the amount of nutrient intake and that utilized to support intense physical activities arising during athletic performances. In fact, this results in energy deficiency, which is the primary cause of Female Athlete Triad.
Disordered eating as a component of Female Athlete Triad is related to the other two components in different ways. With regards to osteoporosis, disordered eating amongst female athletes increases the occurrence of calcium and phosphorous deficiency, which are the main factors that predisposed someone to osteoporosis. In line with amenorrhea, disordered eating is likely to reduce the availability of proteins, which is the primary nutrient needed to manufacture hormones. Impaired production of hormones disrupts the menstrual cycle of females because hormones are the main factors that control menstrual cycles. Osteoporosis as another component of Female Athlete Triad connotes to a reduction in bone mineral density, which is caused by low levels of calcium and phosphorous minerals in the body. As such, participation in intense athletics activities lowers the availability of various nutrients including calcium and phosphorus. Certainly, this results in calcium and phosphorus deficiency, which leads to osteoporosis (Williams, 2012).
Osteoporosis as a component of Female Athlete Triad is correlated to the other two components in difference ways. In relation to disordered eating, osteoporosis is a consequence of disordered eating whereby female athletes on getting shapes that would enhance their athletic performance, they indulge in food that are low in calcium and phosphorous, which put them at higher risk to osteoporosis. In line with amenorrhea, osteoporosis, may also contribute to a disturbance in the menstrual cycle because this cycle is controlled by various minerals, and female athletes are likely to be deficient of these minerals. The final component of Female Athlete Triad; amenorrhea connotes to the absence of the menstrual cycle in a period of close to three months (Williams, 2012). This occurs as a result of intense participation of females in strenuous athletic activities without taking enough energy needs to cater for the energy utilized during periods of intense physical activities. Precisely, participation in intense athletic activities without consuming enough nutrients reduces the availability of hormone oestrogen, which is needed to maintain a normal hormonal cycle. Overall, extraneous athletics activities by females impairs the menstrual cycle.
Conclusion
Reference
Williams, M.H. (2012) Nutrition for health, fitness, & sport (10th Ed.) New York: McGraw- Hill.
