The Female Athlete Triad and It’s Long-Term Effect on High School Female Athletes

Abstract

With the passage of Title IX in 1972, females have come a long way in regards to sport participation. This was something that was considered great for women and has led to the tremendous increase in female participation in sports in high schools. While participation in sports has many benefits, one unforeseen consequence was the emergence of the female athlete triad. The female athlete triad is a composed of three things, low-energy availability (disordered eating), menstrual irregularities, and negative effects on bone mineral density. The purpose of this synthesis was to review the literature on the female athlete triad and its long-term effect on high school female athletes.