FEATURES OF PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT, MENSTRUAL FUNCTION AND BODY COMPOSITION IN CHILDREN INVOLVED IN PROFESSIONAL SPORT (RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS)

Abstract

Introduction. Currently sport for all its social significance contains a number of serious contradictions. Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport that develops flexibility, grace of movement, and plasticity. Parents of girls willingly send their daughters to gymnastics. However, the loads of young athletes are comparable to the loads of professional sportsmen, what may lead to health problems, especially in adolescence. Many researchers come to the conclusion that high physical activity effects on reproductive function, in particular on the age of menarche , the regularity, duration and abundance of menstruation. Until now, this problem remains insufficiently explored. Purpose of the study: to study the characteristics of physical development, menstrual cycle and body composition in girls professionally involved in rhythmic gymnastics. Materials and methods. A survey of 43 girls aged 11-17 years professionally involved in rhythmic gymnastics was carried out, including a questionnaire, assessment of physical development, menstrual function and body composition. The control group consisted of 20 healthy children. Statistical processing of the results was carried out in Microsoft Excel 2007 using descriptive statistical and analysis methods. Results. In 86 % of the examined girls physical development did not comply with the age standards. In 48 % of children the average age of menarche is 14-17 years. 50 % of female athletes had an irregular menstrual cycle, disturbance in its duration and abundance, and pain. According to the results of bioimpedansometry 90 % of gymnasts there was a decrease in fat mass and its proportion, 50 % had a decrease in active cell mass, 20 % had a decrease in lean mass, 50 % had an increase in the proportion of active cell mass, in skeletal mass there were 40 % of an increase and 10 % of a decrease, 55 % had a decrease in the total amount of fluid, 30 % had an increase, and 30 % had a decrease in bone mineral density. All female athletes had a reduced basal metabolic rate. Conclusions. The following features are typical for female athletes: 1) physical development is above average, disharmonious due to lack of body weight; 2) primary amenorrhea, late onset of menarche, irregular menstruation, various changes in the duration and abundance of menstrual cycle, algodysmenorrhea; 3) changes in the component composition of the body in the form of a decrease in fat mass and its proportion, lean mass, active cell mass, mineral mass of bone tissue and total fluid in the body. In 10 % of children, a decrease in skeletal muscle mass and bone mineral density was detected, which are prognostically unfavorable signs.