EXTREME training can lead to eating disorders, broken bones and infertility
in female athletes.
High levels of exercise lower levels of oestrogen in the body,
which can lead to reduced bone mass. This increases the risk of stress
fractures, and of osteoporosis later in life. The women often stop menstruating,
too.
Besides the intensive exercise regime, female athletes are
under pressure to keep their weight down. As a result, many don’t eat as much as
they need to balance the energy used during training, putting them at risk of
eating disorders.
Exactly how training triggers these effects isn’t known. Michelle…
