Gymnastics and other competitive sports provide numerous positive benefits including physical fitness, enjoyment, and positive self-esteem. However, sometimes these sports put strenuous demands on a young person’s body and mind contributing to eating abnormalities, pubertal delays, and injury.

In sports like gymnastics, ice skating, and track, a lean body type is encouraged placing the female athlete at increased risk for disordered eating. Some young athletes simply do not eat enough to balance the calorie needs of demanding practices. Others have disordered eating patterns ranging from calorie cutting, to fasting, to purging by vomiting, medication or exercise, or to diagnosed eating disorders such anorexia and bulimia. Disordered eating is significant and may negatively affect athletic performance, pubertal development, bone development, and other medical concerns.

Pubertal delays and menstrual irregularities occur more frequently in female athletes than non-athletes. This may be due in part to low body weight and body fat, to physical and psychological stresses inherent in competitive sports, or to other hormonal effects exercise has on the body. Pubertal delays include lack of breast development by age fourteen or lack of menstrual cycles by age sixteen, and menstrual irregularities include infrequent periods or cessation of periods. These delays may lead to weaker bones and osteoporosis leading to injuries. These abnormalities together consist of the female athlete triad – disordered eating, menstrual irregularities, and osteoporosis. Treatment includes nutritional and behavioral counseling, decreasing training, increasing body fat, and occasionally hormonal therapy.

Participation in sports should be encouraged, but careful monitoring of young girls in highly competitive sports helps to prevent these complications. Parents should monitor their child’s eating patterns and discuss appropriate dietary needs with your pediatrician. Also, discuss any concerns about your daughter’s pubertal development with your pediatrician.