Relationships of Ghrelin and Adiponectin Levels to Menstrual Disorders in Female Athletes
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- Category: Vol. 78, March 2010
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Relationships of Ghrelin and Adiponectin Levels to Menstrual Disorders in Female Athletes, ELHAM S. MAREI, AZZA A. MOHAMMAD, MOHAMAD A. DIAB and ALIA A. GAD
Abstract
Both ghrelin and adiponectin are related to energy balance that regulates food intake.
Objective: The aim of the present study was to explore whether ghrelin and adiponectin would be linked to menstrual disorders in athletic females.
Subjects and Methods: A total of 40 athletic girls, ages 13-21 yr, including 15 with amenorrhea (AA), fifteen eumen-orrheic athletes (Eu A) with regular menstruation and 10 non athletic served as controls. Fasting blood was drawn for assay of peripheral hormones including active ghrelin, adiponectin, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), estradiol (E2) and testosterone using ELISA.
Results: Amenorrheic girls had significantly lower body mass index than controls (p<0.05), and were strongly positively correlated to gonadal steroid levels (p<0.001). Both ghrelin and adiponectin levels were significantly higher in AA than Eu A and control groups (p<0.05).
Conclusions: Body mass index is a positive predictor to gonadal steroids. Higher ghrelin and adiponectin levels in AA compared with normal menstruating athletic females, and their associations with low gonadal steroids might explain menstrual disorders among athletics.