The DOI matches its Crossref record; 27 of the 27 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Hyperandrogenicity is an alternative mechanism underlying oligomenorrhea or amenorrhea in female athletes and may improve physical performance
Open accessAbstract
Objective To evaluate endocrine mechanisms underlying oligomenorrhea or amenorrhea in female athletes.Design Cross-sectional study.Setting Women's health clinical research unit at a university hospital.Patient(s) Age- and BMI-matched groups of athletes active in endurance sports with and without menstrual disturbances and regularly cycling sedentary controls.Intervention(s) Groups were compared with respect to endocrine status, body composition, and physical performance.Main outcome measure(s) Identification of a subgroup of oligomenorrheic or amenorrheic athletes with increased androgen levels and anabolic body composition.Result(s) A subgroup of 8 of 25 athletes with menstrual disturbances had significantly higher serum levels of free and total testosterone, androstenedione, LH-FSH ratio, and lower SHBG levels than did all other groups. Other oligomenorrheic or amenorrheic athletes had normal values comparable to those in regularly menstruating athletes and controls. The hyperandrogenic subgroup showed a more anabolic body composition, with higher total bone mineral density and upper-lower fat mass ratio than did oligomenorrheic or amenorrheic athletes with normal androgen levels. The hyperandrogenic subgroup had the highest VO2 max and the highest performance values in general.Conclusion(s) Menstrual disturbances in female athletes are often explained as a consequence of hypothalamic inhibition and caloric deficiency. We suggest that essential hyperandrogenism is an alternative mechanism underlying oligomenorrhea or amenorrhea in some female athletes and may imply an advantage for physical performance.
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“has higher than expected prevalence among elite female athletes (36, 45–47)”
From Circulating Testosterone as the Hormonal Basis of Sex Differences in Athletic Performance (2018) · cites this paper as [47]
In the citing paper
“In female athletes with the mild hyperandrogenism of PCOS, higher performance has been shown (47), with their muscle mass and power performance correlating with androgen levels (36).”
From Circulating Testosterone as the Hormonal Basis of Sex Differences in Athletic Performance (2018) · cites this paper as [47]
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Circulating Testosterone as the Hormonal Basis of Sex Differences in Athletic Performance
Handelsman, D. J., Hirschberg, A. L., & Bermon, S. (2018) · Endocrine Reviews · doi:10.1210/er.2018-00020 · Cited by 594
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Self-citationVoice pitch alters mate-choice-relevant perception in hunter–gatherers
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Metadata
- Authors
- Rickenlund, A., Carlström, K., Ekblom, B. J., Brismar, T. B., von Schoultz, B. O., & Lindén Hirschberg, A.
- Affiliations
- Karolinska University Hospital (SE)
- Corresponding author
- Rickenlund, Anette
- Venue
- Fertility and Sterility
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2003-04
- Volume
- 79
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 947-955
- ISSN
- 0015-0282 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2023629620
- Semantic Scholar
- 21c8713dd02b6f62e61831f774182d6a764d6592
- Cited by
- 120
- References
- 27
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 3
- FWCI
- 3.62
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Fertility and Sterility (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Reproductive Medicine › Ovarian function and disorders
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Reproductive Medicine › Hypothalamic control of reproductive hormones
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Adrenal Hormones and Disorders
- Keywords
- hyperandrogenism, oligomenorrhea, amenorrhea, female athletes, menstrual irregularity, testosterone, androstenedione, LH/FSH ratio, sex hormone-binding globulin, bone mineral density, physical performance, endurance sports, hypothalamic inhibition, energy deficiency
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Amenorrhea, Androstenedione, Body Composition, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Humans, Insulin, Insulin-Like Growth Factor I, Oligomenorrhea, Physical Endurance, Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin, Sports, Testosterone, Transcortin, Bone Density, Hyperandrogenism, Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate
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