Some athletes focus too much on being thin, pushing exercise and dieting to the extreme.
This can cause long-term health issues and end up impairing athletic performance, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons says.
So how do women know if they're taking diet and exercise too far? The academy says if you're missing menstrual periods, have a stress fracture, or have symptoms of an eating dsorder, you should discuss the following factors with your doctor:
- How you exercise and what you eat.
- Your age when menstruation began, and whether your periods are regular.
- Whether you are sexually active, use birth control and have ever been pregnant.
- If you've had a stress fracture.
- History of gaining or losing weight.
- All medications that you take.
- Any symptoms that may indicate other medical problems.
- Your family history of disease.
- Things in your life that cause stress.
Health Tip: Can't Catch Your Breath During a Workout?
If you're typically coughing, wheezing or feeling short of breath during exercise, experts say you could have a condition called exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB).
The condition causes the tubes inside your lungs to narrow during exercise, triggering symptoms of asthma.
What's behind EIB? The American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology says people with the condition are sensitive to cold and dry air. While the typical pattern of breathing through the nose will warm and moisten the air, during exercise, people tend to breathe more through the mouth. This allows cooler, drier air to reach the lungs.
What else can trigger EIB? Air pollution, allergens, respiratory infections and being out of shape are at the top of the list, the academy says.
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