Meet the Fighters: a series in partnership with Women Who Fight
An interview from an amenorrheic brazilian jiu-jitsu athlete.
-What were signs and symptoms of your condition?
No signs of PMS or symptoms of period coming. Period missing from ages 14-16.
-What do you believe triggered these conditions?
A large amount of cardio and smaller portions of food, which meant I was quite skinny. Also stress from school exams.
-What were helpful words of support you received?
None really, doctors and family just said “it will come back, don’t worry”, yet I was still concerned.
-Did you experience reproduction issues? Amenorrhea (longer than 3 months without a period)?
I didn’t have a period for around 18 months.
-Did you experience bone health issues? (stress fractures/stress reactions)
I don’t think so.
-Did you seek help? If so, how?
Went to the doctor and a nurse, both said I was fine and only offered for me to take a contraceptive pill to kick-start it again hopefully. This was not an ideal option for me at the time so it did not help.
-What steps did you take in order to recover?
Ended up gaining a lot of weight and my period returned. The weight gain did not help my mental health (which a couple years later triggered an ED*), but it meant my period came back.
-Anything you wish you had known sooner?
How to stay at a lean weight without fear of losing my period.
-How were you able to move forward?
I just got on with things, but it’s still stressful to think about and I still never got answers as to why my period stopped for so long.
Many athletes do not know why they have lost their period, an important barometer for female health. To find out more information regarding menstrual dysfunction, click here.
Additionally, the pill is not the solution to “recover” your period. Amenorrheic athletes are frequently prescribed hormonal contraceptives to prevent or slow bone loss, but this does not address the underlying problem — it only addresses the symptoms. The problem is energy, and energy should be part of fixing the problem. Athletes on birth control pills often believe they have addressed their Triad-related problems, and therefore are probably not being counseled to improve dietary habits. As a result, they may continue to travel down the energy deficiency path, which contributes to further bone loss.
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