Reversibility of Amenorrhea in Athletes

To the Editor: The number of women participating in long-distance running has increased dramatically in recent years. With this growth in participation in sports by women, the realization has emerged that physical training can be associated with amenorrhea and oligomenorrhea. 1 The exact causes of these changes in menstrual periodicity are not known, although excessive weight loss, low body fatness, and prepubertal training have been suggested as factors contributing to menstrual dysfunction in women athletes. 2 Discussions with athletes indicate that treatment aimed at restoring normal menstrual periodicity is often perceived as unnecessary and as a factor potentially compromising performance. Thus, because . . .