Sports Nutrition Tips For Women Athletes With Amenorrhea And ACL Injuries

Mauro Di Pasquale, in his book Utilization of Proteins in Energy Metabolism, recommended 2.2g/kg of protein intake for those in competitive or recreational sports who wanted to "maximize lean body mass" without gaining weight. Apart from proteins, water and carbohydrates are the other two fuels that all male and female athletes require to perform their best. However, women athletes tend to face problems of amenorrhea and ACL injuries despite maintaining proper sports nutrition. This article will address these two concerns.

Sports Nutrition Tips: How to Overcome Amenorrhea

If you are among 20% of the women population who has missed menstrual periods consecutively for three months or more, you are surely experiencing amenorrhea. As an athlete, this can prove damaging to your career as amenorrhea leads to significant loss in bone density which increases your susceptibility to stress fractures and osteoporosis. An experienced sports nutrition planner would tell you the proper way of preventing and treating this problem. This is some suggested methods of overcoming this problem:


Training moderately (reducing training volume by 10-15 percent)


Increasing calories intake by consuming nuts, butter, salmons and olive oil


Increasing calcium intake


Consuming small amounts of red meat at least twice a week

Sports Nutrition Tips: How to Prevent and Overcome ACL Injuries

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear is very common among female athletes. ACL is a major ligament that offers stability to the knee. The ACL along with three other ligaments attach the two bones in the knees which help to control excessive movement of the knee joint. At the same time, this ligament prevents the lower leg from moving too far ahead. Sports nutrition experts will affirm that ACL injuries occur on the occasion of sudden twisting movements. The following are some ways of preventing this problem:


Avoid vulnerable positions that would involve planting your feet in one direction and twisting your knee to some direction


Practice plyometric exercises which improve neuromuscular conditioning and reaction

For treating ACL injuries follow the procedure termed RICE:


R - Rest the muscle


I - Apply ice


C - Compress with the help of elastic bandage


E - Elevate your leg towards your chest to minimize swelling