Hormonal
Low energy availability (EA <30 kcal/kg FFM/day) causes functional hypothalamic amenorrhea (FHA) in female athletes through suppressed GnRH pulsatility, leading to decreased estradiol and progesterone.
If you are a female athlete experiencing missed periods, check your energy intake relative to your exercise expenditure. If your energy availability is consistently below 30 kcal per kg of fat-free mass per day, you are at high risk for hormonal suppression. Consult a specialist to address this before bone health is compromised.
Aberrant gonadotropic releasing hormone (GnRH) pulsatility at the hypothalamus leads to abnormal pituitary secretion of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), resulting in decreased estradiol and progesterone, inadequate folliculogenesis, and anovulation (Gordon et al., 2017).
Why this rating
Based on multiple prospective and cross-sectional studies cited, though individual variability exists.
Source
Endocrine Effects of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport
Kirsty J. Elliott‐Sale et al. · International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism · 2018
DOI 10.1123/ijsnem.2018-0127
More from this paper
- Low energy availability reduces resting metabolic rate (RMR) by approximately 8% as an energy-conserving mechanism, independent of changes in body composition.Good
- Low energy availability suppresses leptin levels and elevates ghrelin and peptide YY (PYY), disrupting appetite regulation and contributing to the maintenance of low energy states.Good
- Low energy availability leads to decreased IGF-1 and increased GH, indicating GH resistance at the liver, which impairs bone and muscle anabolism.Good
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