Effect of intensive and precocious sport activity on the age at menarche in Congolese women population

Aim- Evaluation of intensive and early sports (before puberty) influence on the first menstruation's (menarche) upcoming in African subjects. Methods- The age of menarche (AMC) is obtained by a standard recall method on a population of 399 young women from Congo-Brazzaville. They are 20 to 30 years old and are divided in three groups: (1) 111 handball players having started training before menarche, 50 of them being of high national and international sport levels players (AH-pre), and 61 of them competing in local and academic leagues (AS-pre); (2) 74 handball players as a control group having started training after menarche, including 24 players of high sport levels (AH-post) and 50 others competing in academic leagues (AS-post); and (3) 214 sedentary young women (SYW). The averages are compared with the help of a one way variance analysis test (ANOVA) followed by a Fisher PLSD post-hoc multi-comparison test. The level of significance is set at p < 0.05. Results- The average AMC is not significantly different when looking at AH-post (13.88 plus or minus 1.33 years) and AS-post (13.94 plus or minus 1.3 years), and when considering each of them with SYW (13.92 plus or minus 1.3 years). However these three groups show an average AMC significantly lower (p < 0.0001) than the ones of AH-pre (15.36 plus or minus 1.57 years) on one hand and of AS-pre (14.74 plus or minus 1.06 years) on the other hand. Furthermore there is a significant difference between these two latter groups (p < 0.05). Conclusions- AMC is delayed in the group of women having started sports before puberty, and the higher the level of competition is reached, the more AMC is delayed. This result can be explained by a possible sampling factor that would make these women a menarche's group subjects of late nature, but this theory is excluded. The hypothesis of a menarche's selection in elite sport subjects is also excluded. These results therefore confirm the effect of sports on puberty in a population of African women.Original Abstract: Objectifs- Evaluer l'influence de la pratique sportive intensive et precoce (commencee pendant la periode prepubertaire) sur la survenue des premieres menstruations (menarche) chez des sujets africains. Methodes- L'age a la menarche (AMC) est obtenu par la methode du rappel dans une population de 399 jeunes femmes originaires du Congo-Brazzaville, agees de 20 a 30 ans et reparties en trois groupes d'analyse : 1) 111 handballeuses ayant commence l'entrainement ava