This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Exercise has often been recommended for its health benefits. For women especially, exercise during adolescence is recommended for cardiovascular fitness, weight maintenance, and bone health. In weight-bearing exercise, mechanical stress will increase bone density, yet young female runners have an increased risk of stress fractures. In young women, the effects of exercise are not well understood. Decreased bone mass is particularly alarming for adolescent young women as bone accretion reaches a plateau in the post-pubertal years. Consequently, they are vulnerable to life-long increased risk of osteoporosis. Menstrual irregularity associated with exercise is thought to reflect lower estrogen levels. Lower circulating estrogens are linked to lowered bone density and increased risk for fractures. Young women with menstrual irregularity often seek treatment with oral contraceptives to normalize their cycles and this hormonal treatment is thought to protect bone health as well. The exact benefits of hormonal contraceptives on bone health are not known. The purpose of this study is to determine whether active adolescents who have recently begun hormonal contraceptive treatment will have a higher bone density than similar untreated young women after one year of observation.
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