A Fine Line: Pressures to be excessively thin in female runners

A Fine Line: Pressures to be excessively thin in female runners
http://counterkicks.com/2011/10/23/adidas-honors-9-time-champion-grete-waitz-with-2011-new-york-city-marathon-shoes/

http://rise.espn.go.com/track-and-xc/us/awards/2010/MOP-Girls-Distance.aspx
http://stevetaylor7.blogspot.com/2011/06/richmond-spiders-qualify-5-to-ncaa.html
http://www.flotrack.org/photo/381646
http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/run-karla-run/2009/dec/23/best-runners-decade/
     It's no coincidence that so many of the top high school, collegiate, and professional women distance runners are very thin. It makes sense- the less weight a runner must carry, the more efficient a runner can be. Most runners are naturally skinny. It takes a certain body type to have the talent necessary to succeed at a high level in running. The top runners also run a large amount of miles, many over 80 miles per week, which is an amount many non-runners can hardly imagine. The top runners are very careful about nutrition, but they eat healthy amounts necessary to support their physical activity level, which is a lot for someone running 80 miles per week! However, a lot of runner's see the top runner's success at such a high level, and attribute it to them being very thin. Some girls try to lose weight in an unhealthy manner because they feel it will boost their performance. I am writing my first blog on this issue in particular because I have witnessed female runners that I am close to deal with injuries related to low body weight. It is important for young runners to be educated on the importance of proper nutrition and eating habits. 
     
     Problems arise when runners believe that they must lose weight to be able to run as fast as they are capable of. This is true, to an extent. For every 1% of body fat lost, performance will improve by about 1% as well. However, this is only true if one has excess body weight to LOSE. If a female is already really thin, losing extra weight will only take away muscle mass, which is essential for high performance. As stated before, less weight to carry means you can run faster with less effort. Girls who lose a lot of weight tend to run very well for a short period of time, setting multiple personal records. They may see initial success as a result of their weight loss, and will continue with their unhealthy habits for this reason. But if body weight is too low, the human body will break down and the runner will not be able to compete at their full potential. The personal records they have gotten used to achieving will stop coming, and the runner will become very frustrated and may even lose interest (Noakes). 
     
     There are three different conditions that often occur at the same time when female athlete's, especially runners, are not eating enough to maintain their level of physical activity. This is referred to as the female athlete triad. Coaches, trainers, runners, and their parents should all be aware of the symptoms associated with the female athlete triad to make sure the athlete is taking proper care of themselves so that they can continue to compete at a high level (Noakes). 


     The first portion of the female athlete triad is disordered eating (Noakes). Some female runners will limit their food intake in an attempt to lose weight. They may not want to eat around their teammates, or will brush off their eating habits by saying that they are just a "picky" eater. They may try to eat extremely "healthy" by eating only foods such as salad and fruit. (Kind of a contradiction because it takes more than lettuce and fruit for a person to be healthy). The athlete could also seemingly eat normally around others, but could binge and purge when they are alone. I have been around female runners who seemed to be obsessed with food and talk about it almost constantly. What they will eat for dinner may be on their mind all day, and they will be extremely guilty if they eat more than they think they should. 


     The second part of the female athlete triad is the loss of menstrual period, or amenorrhea , which results from a restricted diet and/or overexercising. Female runners are especially at risk for losing their period, and if they lose three or more in a row it is cause for concern. A lot of female runners do not go to the doctor when this occurs, because they think it is a normal occurance in runners. However, not having a normal period means that your body is not producing enough estrogen, a hormone essential for bodily functions (Noakes). 
     This lack of estrogen can lead to the third part of the female athlete triad, which is low bone density, or osteoporosis. Loss of bone strength and density can lead to stress fractures, a condition afflicting many female runners. I have known runners who have repeatedly dealt with stress fractures, each time having to rest for months in order to heal. If these girls had been eating properly and someone had stepped in to help them take better care of themselves, these issues would most likely have never occurred (Noakes). 


     The issues associated with the female athlete triad are serious. Girls who have amenorrhea are more likely to suffer bone and musculoskeletal injuries, and may be more prone to osteoporosis later on in life. Damage caused by lack of menstruation is large irreversible, and should be addressed early on. 
Research suggests that athlete's with irregular menstrual cycles should: 
Decrease training load
Increased caloric intake 
Increased body weight (add 2-3%) 
Increase their calcium intake 
Estrogen therapy if needed
Sources: Noakes, Tim M.D. Lore of Running


     It's important that professional runners act as good examples to younger runners who look up to them and hope to achieve their level of success. They should stress proper nutritional habits and the importance of taking care of their body. This past weekend, Kara Goucher placed third in the Olympic Trials marathon, qualifying to represent the United States in the Olympic games this upcoming summer. In this video http://www.flotrack.org/speaker/25-kara-goucher/video/1970-eat-a-dorito, Kara talks about her own struggles with healthy eating in the past. She makes it clear that she would not be as successful as she is today if she did not begin to take care of her body. Athlete's like Kara who stand for healthy approaches to training are great role models for girls who dream to achieve lofty goals.    
Success never comes easy, especially in a sport such as running where the best people are running over ten miles a day, and young girls must understand that they are no short cuts to success. 


More information on disordered eating can be found here: http://www.raderprograms.com/affected-groups/athletes-eating-disorders.html
This site provides a plan for HEALTHYFULLY losing extra weight to improve running performance: http://www.tidewaterstriders.com/fitfortheriverrun/weightcontrol.htm
Megan Goethals, pictured above in the second image, comes out about her struggle with body weight and how she overcame it: http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=23948
Other sources:
Noakes, Tim M.D. Lore of Running