Why do women athletes lose/delay their periods?

Question

My boyfriend was talking about he learned that in health once but he didn't remember why. I would like to know too! Please help! :] Thanks!

Answer 1

the constant working out/building of muscle increases a woman's testosterone level in their bloodstream, which messes with the harmonal balance that regulates her period. (that's why women who have been in hard-core athletic training since their childhood usually have smaller boobies, too.)

Answer 2

testosterone levels and muscle mass have nothing to do with amenorrhea in women atheletes. The most common reason for amenorrhea (loss of menses) in women is lack of body fat mass. You need a certain percentage of body fat to produce estrogen in order to menstruate. many female gymnasts, ballerinas, etc. eat insufficient calories for their level of activity in order to display an overly slender physique (which, like models, is considered to be more desirable). Once the women start eating normally and put on at least 13% fat mass by weight, they start menstruating again. Incidentally, many female athletes also suffer from osteoporosis in later years due to the loss of estrogen while they were active in their sport.
Female athletes or women who perform considerable amounts of exercise on a regular basis are at risk of developing 'athletic' amenorrhea. It is suspected that low body fat levels and exercise related chemicals (such as beta endorphins and catecholamines) disrupt the interplay of the sex hormones estrogen and progesterone.
A second serious risk factor of amenorrhea is severe bone loss sometimes resulting in osteoporosis and osteopenia. It is the third component of an increasingly common disease known as female athlete triad syndrome. The other two components of this syndrome are osteoporosis and disordered eating. Awareness and intervention can usually prevent this occurrence in most female athletes.

Answer 3

When a girls body has a period it is because it is releasing eggs in order to get pregnant. When a girls body is under a lot of stress or loosing a weight quickly her body decided that now is not a good time to get pregnant and it stops releasing eggs.

Answer 4

women who exercise a lot can not have periods becuase their bodies r different

Answer 5

Because of the stress they put on their body ....