Female athletes, in an attempt to improve performance or meet some desired concept of fitness, often try to lose weight and body fat. The female athlete triad refers specifically to three related health problems often found in women athletes:

• Low energy availability (eating disorders)
• Menstrual disorders (amenorrhea)
• wWeak bones (increased risk of stress fractures and osteoporosis).

This attempt to reduce body fat by extreme measures not only leads to decreased exercise performance, but can lead to severe health complications. Nutrient deficiencies and fluid/electrolyte imbalance from low food intake can lead to increased risk of fractures, illness, loss of reproductive function and serious medical conditions such as dehydration, and starvation. The medical complications of this triad involve almost every body function and include the cardiovascular, endocrine, reproductive, skeletal, gastrointestinal, renal, and central nervous systems.

Read the updated American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand on the Female Athlete Triad.