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Athletic Women's Survival Guide
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Product Description
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Being able to push your bodys limits to thrive in training and competitionis the hallmark of a great athlete. But for many women this pressure to succeedcan become a double-edged sword, motivating them to excel yet also distortingtheir perceptions of what are healthy and productive training practices. Theresult too often is a set of three serious health concerns that make up thefemale athlete triad.
The triad consists of (a)disordered eating, which includes a wide spectrum ofbehaviors from fasting to anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa (b)amenorrhea, adisruption of monthly menstrual cycles resulting in estrogen deficiency due toexcessive exercise and other factors including disordered eating habits and (c)osteoporosis,or loss of bone mass, which has been linked to estrogen deficiency and may leadto stress fractures. These three conditions may, and often do, appear separatelyin many active women but whether experienced singularly or as part of the triad,the conditions are a real threat to todays female athletes.
If you are a female athlete or active woman, if you care about one as a parentor friend, or if you coach and counsel female athletes, The AthleticWomans Survival Guide is the one resource you need to learn how to manageand prevent the triad. Dr. Carol L. Otis, an international authority on thiscondition, explains how to prevent falling into the triad and gives strategiesfor reclaiming a strong and healthy body. Drawing on years of experience withathletes of all abilities at UCLA, Dr. Otis also offers inspiring examples ofwomen who have fallen into the triad trap and how theyve fought their wayout.
Because the triad is preventable, the book provides recommendations for changingthe attitudes of the people dealing with female athletes. Suggestions areincluded for coaches and parents on providing positive reinforcement about thefemales weight, self-esteem, and body image. With the help of The AthleticWomans Survival Guide, athletes can find out how to get help so they canonce again train, compete, and be healthy all at the same time.
About the Author
As physician for the UCLA Student Health Services, Carol L. Otis, MD, hasworked with many women, seeing firsthand the devastating effects of the triad.She received her medical degree from the University of Southern California andcurrently serves as the chief medical advisor for Womens Professional Tennis(SANEX WTA Tour). Dr. Otis was also a former assistant team physician for theUCLA varsity athletic teams and adjunct assistant clinical professor in UCLAsDivision of Internal Medicine.
. Otis has worked with athletes in numerous sports, acting as physician forthe Boston Marathon, Ironman World Championship Triathlon, gymnastics teams atthe 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, and for the U.S. Olympic Track and FieldTrials. Shes worked to draw awareness to female athlete issues through herposition as former chairperson of the Strategic Health Initiative for Women forthe American College of Sports Medicine, as well as her work with the USTASports Science Committee and ITF Medical Commission. Dr. Otis also maintains anextensive lecturing schedule, has published many research studies and articleson women in sports, and has appeared on the Today Show to discuss femaleathletes and amenorrhea. She and co-author Roger Goldingay are married and livein Los Angeles, California.
Roger Goldingay, a former professional soccer player, is presently a Webdesigner, writer and photographer. With his wife, Dr. Carol L. Otis, heco-authored Campus Health Guide (College Board, 1989) as well as monthly columnsfor Shape and Womens Sport & Fitness. His own writing has appeared inmany magazines, including Runners World, Mens Fitness, and SportsMedicine Digest.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1. Why the Triad Now? Developing a Positive Body Image
Chapter 2. Thin is In: Disordered Eating
Chapter 3. Dying to Be Thin: Anorexia Nervosa
Chapter 4. Out of the Kitchen, Into the Closet: Bulimia Nervosa
Chapter 5. The Power of Your Period: Amenorrhea
Chapter 6. Old Bones in Young Women: Osteoporosis
Chapter 7. Getting Help: Teamwork to Success
Chapter 8. Peak Performance: Preventing the Triad
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