LADIES: 10 most common causes of missed and irregular periods – You need to see this

2. Over-Exercising

Although regular exercise is good for your overall health, excess exercise can be bad for females, especially those who are athletes. In fact, excess exercise is one of the key reasons behind disruption of the menstruation cycle.

Like other stress hormones, cortisol is released in response to any physical exertion, which in turn can deplete the body of energy needed to regulate sex hormones. A 2008 study published in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences reports that exercise-induced amenorrhea can be an indicator of an energy drain, and the presence of the other components of the female athlete triad-bone density loss and eating disorders must be determined as well. The study emphasized that addressing skeletal problems related to nutritional and hormonal deficiencies in this population is very important.

Along with excess physical stress, several other factors contribute to the loss of periods in athletes. Such factors include low body fat and high energy expenditure.

Consult your doctor to determine whether your missed or irregular periods are a result of excessive exercise. You may need to work with an expert to help you plan a healthy exercise routine.