Prevalence of the components of the female athlete triad in college aged females

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to observe if any component or combination of components of the Female Athlete Triad existed in active college aged females. Thirtyfive college aged females who were moderately active and not using any oral contraceptives participated in this study. All participants recorded their physical activity for three days and nutrient intake for 24 hours in order to obtain energy expenditure and intake. In addition, questions concerning their menstrual cycle history were also asked. Finally, a DEXA scan was used to obtain bone mineral density and body composition. Frequencies of each component of the triad were tallied and showed none of the participants met the criteria for all three of the components. Only one participant showed signs for low energy availability and irregular menstrual cycles. In addition, no other combination of the components existed. Overall, our results do not suggest that physically active college aged females are at risk for the Female Athlete Triad.