Dr. Andrew Schneider is a podiatrist in private practice in Houston, TX. He is dedicated to maintaining the health and safety of the feet of athletes and return them to their sport as soon as possible after injury. For more information about foot health in sports, informative videos, and to order Dr. Schneider's FREE book, visit his website and his blog "The Houston Running Chronicles"
At one time, not too long in the past, it was considered social unacceptable for women to participate in sports. Society use to view women as weak and fragile beings that were discourage from participation in sports because the female athlete simply did not fit their view of a typical women. Although in some areas of the world women's participation in sports is still frowned upon, most modern countries now encourage and celebrate women in sports.
The problem with women in sports today is that, although it is now acceptable for women to participate in sports, there are also expectations as to what a female athlete should look like. For example, gymnastics, ballet, cross country, track and field, volleyball and swimming are popular sports for women to compete in but the attire for these events can be very unforgiving to a female's naturally curvier figure. The pressure that many female athletes feel to fit the expected image of an athlete in these sports is one of the reasons there has been a trend of women in sports to be prone to developing an eating disorder or something called the Female Athlete Triad.
The Female Athlete Triad is a medical condition is which a female athlete develops an eating disorder leading to amenorrhea, loss of the female menstrual cycle, and eventually osteoporosis, loss of bone density at an early age. This condition is becoming increasing recognized in the medical profession as a serious problem that can have dire consequences if not recognized and treated properly. The Female Athlete Triad is tricky to diagnose because many athletes will naturally lose weight and be thin do to their training. The thing to realize is that if a female athlete is not getting the proper nutrients they can severely harm their bodies. Athletes put more stress on their bones while they are training and competing. If athletes are not getting the correct amount of calories and nutrients then they can cause permanent damage to their skeletal system that can never be repaired. One of the most common side effects of the female athlete triad is the development of stress fractures, a small crack in a bone usually of the lower extremity.
The Female Athlete Triad is a serious problem in today's society. It is important that athletes, parents, coaches and health care professionals all work together to recognize this problem and get women the help they need before they do permanent damage to their bodies.
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