The Female Athlete Triad

Eating less to lose weight or play better can lead to big problems for girls who play sports. If young female athletes don’t get enough calories to make up for what they burn during practices and games, they might miss their periods and have weak bones. The combination of a poor diet, periods that aren’t regular and weak bones is called the female athlete triad.

In this segment, Terra Blatnik, MD discusses the symptoms of the female athlete triad, how it can cause health issues later in life, and when a patient should be referred to a specialist.