Oral Contraceptives and Bone Health in Female Runners

Abstract

Highly trained female athletes may experience loss of menses, low bone mass, and an increased frequency of stress fractures because of their participation in intense physical activity. Low serum estrogen levels are believed to be a principal cause of the bone loss. If so, re-establishing normal estrogen levels in these women should prevent or retard bone loss and decrease the incidence of stress fractures. This study is a two-year randomized trial of the effects of oral contraceptives on bone mass and stress fracture incidence among 150 female competitive distance runners in the age range 18-25 years. The Coordinating Center is at Stanford University and bone mass in being measured at five sites: Massachusetts General Hospital, University of California Los Angeles, University of Michigan, Stanford University/Palo Alto VA Medical Center, and Helen Hayes Hospital in West Haverstraw NY. Athletes are currently being recruited from the areas around these five clinical sites, and to date 84 have been randomized. Results will not be available until 2002.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 01, 2000
Accession Number
ADA391391

Entities

People

  • Jennifer L. Kelsey

Organizations

  • Stanford University

Tags

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  • Abstracts
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  • Biomedical Research
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  • Reproductive Control Agents
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Fields of Study

  • Medicine

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