The Female Athlete Triad was initially defined as the constellation of three interrelated clinical entities typically found in active young women: amenorrhea, osteoporosis, and disordered eating. The definition has now been broadened to recognize that each component of the triad exists on a spectrum. Thus, menstrual irregularities (without amenorrhea), low bone mineral density (without full-blown osteoporosis) and deficits of energy availability due to a deficient nutrition (without a formal diagnosis of an eating disorder) may be sufficient to prompt this diagnosis. Notably, the Triad can appear when there is not enough caloric intake to balance caloric expenditure, independent of whether...
