Collegiate women athletes with irregular menses during adolescence have decreased bone density.

We studied six eumenorrheic and 13 oligomenorrheic collegiate women athletes who were matched in all respects other than menstrual histories. There was a significant (P less than .05) association between menstrual regularity and bone density. The severely oligomenorrheic subjects had modestly decreased plasma estrogen levels. These findings support the notion that plasma estrogen levels during adolescence play a significant role in the development of peak adult bone density in women.