Relation of Exercise Induces Amenorrhea and Endothelial Function-The Follow up Study

2004 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 15500466
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Sports science
• Research Institution: Kurume University
• Principal Investigator: YOSHIDA Noriko Kurume University, Institute of Health and Sports Sciences, Associate Professor, 健康・スポーツ科学センター, 助教授 (10210709)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): IKEDA Hisao Kurume University, Department of Internal Medicine III, Associate Professor, 第3内科, 助教授 (50168134) ; TOTOMASU Koji Kurume University, Institute of Health and Sports Sciences, Professor, 健康・スポーツ科学センター, 教授 (50172218)
• Project Period (FY): 2003 – 2004
• Keywords: endothelial function / exercise / exercise induced amenorrhea / estrodiol / endothelium independent vasodilation

Research Abstract

Context. Exercise-associated amenorrhea is frequently observed in highly trained female athletes. Estrogen plays an important role in vascular function. Objective. We investigated vascular function in highly trained young female athletes with exercise-associated amenorrhea. Design, Setting and subject. We enrolled 26 volunteer young (16.4 years old) female highly trained volleyball players and age-matched female non-athletes (controls). The players consisted of athletes with a regular menstrual cycle(RMC, n=14) and those with exercise-associated amenorrhea(EAA, n=12). Controls had a regular menstrual cycle (n=10). Main Outcome Measures. Vasodilatory responses of the brachial artery were evaluated by measuring endothelium-dependent flow-mediated vasodilation(FMD) and glyceryltrinitrate(GTN, endothelium-independent dilator)-induced vasodilation using high-resolution ultrasonography.Serum levels of estradiol and progesterone were measured in all subjects. Results. Both FMD and GTN-induced vasodilation were similar between controls and RMC, thus indicating that exercise itself dose not alter vascular function in young females. In contrast, both FMD and GTN-induced vasodilation were less (p<0.01) in EAA than in controls, more predominantly for FMD. Serum estradiol levels were lower (p<0.05) in EAA, and the levels were significantly correlated with FMD and GTN-induced vasodilation, (r=0.50,p<0.005 and r=0.36,p<0.05,respectively). In EAA after quitting competitive sport activity, serum estradiol returned to normal levels, in association with the recovery of regular menstruation, and then FMD and GTN-induced vasodilation were restored. Conclusions Estrogen has important roles in regulation of vascular function even in young females. Strenuous sports activity that induces amenorrhea may impair endothelium-dependent and -independent vasodilations by decreasing estrogen levels, however, they can be restored quickly by quitting strenuous sport activity.