Health & Fitness
Women and Endurance Sports
Most of us could use a little more exercise in our everyday lives, but it is possible to exercise to the extreme which can cause serious problems in men and women.
Loyola University Health System sports medicine physicians are dedicated to enhancing sports performance and getting people back in the game. Each season a LUHS sports medicine expert from our facility in Burr Ridge will offer tips to keep you safe and active. Dr. Haemi Choi, MD, is a women’s sports medicine specialist. In addition to seeing patients in clinic she is a team physician for several high school and college teams and provides volunteer medical care at various sporting events. Her clinical interests include the female athlete triad, exercise induced asthma, general musculoskeletal care, overuse injuries, and acupuncture. She is an avid runner and is currently training for the Chicago Marathon.
Women and Endurance Sports
Most of us could use a little more exercise in our everyday lives, but it is possible to exercise to the extreme which can cause serious problems in men and women.
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Females who participate in endurance sports need to make sure they are getting proper nutrition and not over exercising. Not properly caring for your body can lead to irreversible damage to your health. Problems include:
- Low energy
- Menstrual irregularity
- Fertility issues
- Stress fractures
- Osteopenia/Osteoporosis
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All athletes put themselves at risk for health issues if the number of calories they burn from exercise is greater than their caloric intake from food. Caloric intake also can impact performance issues. We did a study here at Loyola of distance runners that found that total calories consumed are the greatest predictor of performance.
Still, women tend to alter their diet which puts them at higher risk for health problems. Frequently, women do not realize that we are not eating enough calories to maintain our body’s necessary energy level to function. Especially in sports that focus on body image, females tend to restrict calories to maintain a certain weight which can lead to long term problems with bone health.
Next week I’ll give some dietary tips to help women prevent health issues while taking part in endurance sports.