Bone parameters of elite athletes with oligomenorrhea and prevalence seeking medical attention: a cross-sectional study

Introduction Since the definition of secondary amenorrhea is cessation of regular menses for more than 3 months, it is likely that athletes with irregular menstrual cycles, including oligomenorrhea, do not consider the condition as serious. However, the consequences of untreated oligomenorrhea have not been investigated in elite track and field athletes. Materials and methods The cohort consisted of 91 elite-level track and field athletes. Body compositions, including bone parameters and bone turnover markers (BTMs), were measured. Results Among the 91 participants, 52 were eumenorrheic and 33 were oligomenorrheic. The eumenorrheic athletes had significantly higher bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) of the lumbar spine, lower extremities, and whole body than had the oligomenorrheic athletes ( p