BACKGROUND
The Female Athlete Triad (FAT) is a syndrome involving the interplay between low energy availability, menstrual dysfunction and altered bone mineral density. Endurance runners are at increased risk due to high energy demands from their training regimen and the potential desires for leanness to improve performance. Worldwide female participation in ultra-endurance events may place athletes at risk for the FAT. The 89km Comrades Marathon requires consistent weekly training distances of 80 - 200 km during the 6 months preceding the event, thereby placing these athletes at risk for low energy availability and its health consequences. Treatment of the triad is complex and difficult due to psychological and performance-related aspects; therefore prevention should be prioritised and requires the education of athletes and coaches which is sorely lacking. The objectives of this study were to establish triad knowledge, occurrence of disordered eating, and triad risk amongst participants of the Comrades Marathon event.

The Poster was published in : Sports Med Open. 2015; 1(1): 29

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4564455/