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Although one benefit of exercise is increased bone-mineral density (BMD), female adult athletes with amenorrhea have low BMD. To examine whether the same is true for female adolescent athletes (age range, 12–18 years), researchers in Boston compared BMD, body composition, and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels in 21 adolescent athletes with amenorrhea, 18 athletes with normal menstruation, and 18 controls who were not athletes and did not have amenorrhea.
Athletes reported one of the following: at least 4 hours per week of aerobic weight training of the legs, more than 30 miles per week of running, or more than 4 hours per week of endurance training for at least 6 months. Athletes with amenorrhea had missed at least three consecutiv…