Can exercising really affect a women's baby maker?

In the past when women wanted to become active in exercise and sports, they faced a lot of complications from society of the idea that it can affect their reproductive systems. Many doctors made assumptions that exercise could have a negative effect on women’s chances of having children. Today however, we have learned that exercise is healthy for both men and women. However, were the doctors in the past wrong to say there could be reproductive problems?
Studies have shown that women who excessively exercise are experiencing exercise-induced amenorrhea. This is when women are no longer getting their monthly periods. Sports that are linked to low body weight such as long distance running, cycling, ballet, etc. are experiencing high numbers of female athletes with exercise-induced amenorrhea. With low body weight and too much exercising, the body goes into a state of starvation which shuts down organs that aren’t vital to surviving. Long term effects of exercise-induced amenorrhea include: infertility, osteoporosis, atrophy of the vagina and breasts, and possibly cause heart attacks later in life. It is diagnosed however through elimination. Pregnancy, thyroid dysfunction, prolactinomas, and premature menopause are all causes of women losing their monthly periods, and all have to be proven not to be the cause before a female is diagnosed with exercise-induced amenorrhea.
As a female athlete of today, I always thought the idea of sports and exercising harming the reproductive system was crazy. But to see many articles and studies shown on the internet that excessive exercise and lack of adequate nutrition can harm the reproductive system blew my mind. Obviously exercising too much and not eating right can be harmful to the body, but never did I know that exercise-induced amenorrhea actually existed. It seems as if the doctors from the past could actually, possibly, in some situations, but not all, be right.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/12133-need-exerciseinduced-amenorrhea/

Nickol Black
KIN 338I
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