Energy balance and luteal phase progesterone levels in elite adolescent aesthetic athletes.

Menstrual abnormalities are associated with negative energy balance and reduced energy expenditure (REE). To examine this relationship in elite adolescent aesthetic athletes, 3 groups of females (aged 15-18 years) were studied: 10 oligo/amenorrheic athletes (OA), 11 eumenorrheic athletes (EA), and 8 non-athlete controls (C). Components of energy balance, body composition, dietary restraint, pubertal maturation, and luteal phase salivary progesterone were assessed in all groups. Both groups of athletes had a later age of menarche and lower pubertal development score compared to the non-athletes (p < or = .05). With the exception of salivary progesterone (ng/ml; OA = 0. 15 +/- 0.01 <EA = 0.29 +/- 0.1 and C = 0.30 +/- 0.13, p = .007), there were no differences between the athlete groups. Energy balance (kcal/d) in the OA group was lower (-290 +/- 677) compared to eitherEA (-5 +/- 461) or C ( 179 +/- 592) but did not reach significance (p =.24). Dietary energy intake and absolute REE (kcal/d) were not different among groups, despite detectable differences in reproductive status, and thus could not be attributed to differences in energy balance or REE.