Few oligo-amenorrheic athletes have vasomotor symptoms

Abstract

Objective: To assess whether women with athletic oligo-amenorrhea have vasomotor symptoms.

Material and methods: A mailed questionnaire was sent to 252 female athletes about vasomotor symptoms. Identical questions were also mailed to 1523 peri- and postmenopausal women.

Results: The prevalence of vasomotor symptoms was low in female athletes with oligo- and amenorrhea and similar to that found in athletes with regular menstruations. The prevalence was significantly lower than in menopausal women. Although more than a third of the menopausal women had hormone replacement therapy, 30% of them still had vasomotor symptoms at least every week compared with only 2% of the oligo-amenorrheic athletes.

Conclusion: Vasomotor symptoms are very uncommon in oligo-amenorrheic athletes, although many of them are hypoestrogenic. It was suggested that one factor contributing to these symptoms around menopause is low hypothalamic activity of beta-endorphins, which makes the thermoregulatory centre labile. On the other hand, supraphysiological activity in hypothalamic beta-endorphins may cause the oligo-amenorrhea in athletes, but may stabilise the thermoregulatory centre and thus prevent hot flushes.