ABSTRACT
The health benefits of regular physical activity for women are well documented. And the opportunities for women to participate in sports and reap those benefits are currently unprecedented. Nonetheless, for a small percentage of female athletes, the desire for athletic success combined with the pressure to achieve a prescribed body weight may lead to the development of a triad of disorders including low energy availability, menstrual dysfunction, and low bone mineral density (BMD)—known collectively as the Female Athlete Triad (Otis et al. 1997; Nattiv et al. 2007). Alone or in combination, the disorders of the female athlete triad can negatively impact both the health and the physical performance of the female athlete.
