Baxter-Jones A D, Helms P, Baines-Preece J, Preece M
Institute of Child Health, University of London, UK.
Ann Hum Biol. 1994 Sep-Oct;21(5):407-15. doi: 10.1080/03014469400003422.
It has been hypothesized that young athletes, undertaking intensive training, have delayed menarche due to the effects of training at an early age, although it is known that other genetic and environmental factors contribute to this observed later menarche. As part of a longitudinal study of the effects of intensive training during puberty and adolescence we investigated age of menarche in 222 athletes and their mothers. All the sports studied (gymnastics, swimming and tennis) had later mean ages of menarche (14.3, 13.3 and 13.2 years respectively) than the previously reported UK reference value of 13.00 years. A positive correlation was found between menarcheal age in mothers and daughters (r = 0.27, p < 0.01). Analysis of covariance, using maternal menarcheal age, socioeconomic group, duration of training and type of sport, confirmed that maternal menarcheal age and type of sport were having a significant influence on subject's age of menarche. As maternal menarcheal age and sport were the best predictors of menarcheal age in the athletes we studied, it would appear that menarche was intrinsically late rather than delayed. This suggests that some form of sport-specific selection may have occurred. It therefore seems likely that late maturation of gymnasts contributes to a girl's decision to continue participating in the sport rather than intensive training delaying menarche.
有假设认为，年轻运动员进行高强度训练，由于早年训练的影响，初潮会推迟，尽管已知其他遗传和环境因素也会导致观察到的初潮延迟。作为一项关于青春期和青少年期高强度训练影响的纵向研究的一部分，我们调查了222名运动员及其母亲的初潮年龄。所有研究的运动项目（体操、游泳和网球）的平均初潮年龄（分别为14.3岁、13.3岁和13.2岁）都比之前报道的英国参考值13.00岁要晚。在母亲和女儿的初潮年龄之间发现了正相关（r = 0.27，p < 0.01）。使用母亲的初潮年龄、社会经济群体、训练时长和运动类型进行协方差分析，证实母亲的初潮年龄和运动类型对受试者的初潮年龄有显著影响。由于母亲的初潮年龄和运动是我们研究的运动员初潮年龄的最佳预测因素，初潮似乎本质上就晚，而不是推迟。这表明可能发生了某种形式的特定运动项目筛选。因此，体操运动员成熟较晚似乎促成了女孩继续参与这项运动的决定，而不是高强度训练导致初潮推迟。
