Beyond the Podium: Reproductive Health Matters

Arsenal’s Alessia Russo scores their fourth goal. Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs

Over the past 15 years, women’s sports have experienced a substantial evolution, finally offering female athletes the chance to pursue full-time professional careers. Like their male counterparts, female athletes face considerable pressure to sustain high-performance levels and retain their contracts. Consequently, elite female athletes often find themselves competing during their peak reproductive years, potentially forcing them to choose between family planning aspirations and continuing their athletic pursuits. This dilemma, which affects both their professional and personal lives, can stem from various factors, including sport-specific issues, worries about pregnancy and post-birth recovery, insufficient maternity policies, or a lack of job security in their employment agreements. This, in turn, has potential implications for their reproductive health.

“Menstrual disorders in female athletes can lead to long-term reproductive health issues, including infertility.”

Long-term Health Consequences

Menstrual disorders (MD) are prevalent among female athletes, particularly in aesthetic, endurance, and weight-class sports. There are high rates of amenorrhea among elite female athletes, which is likely to be associated with negative health outcomes⁽¹⁾. While amenorrhea represents the most extreme form of menstrual dysfunction in female athletes, other forms like oligomenorrhoea and luteal phase deficiency can also suppress estrogen levels and affect bone health and fertility⁽²⁾. Factors contributing to MD among athletes include training intensity, nutritional deficiencies, and psychological stress (see figure 1).