Introduction: Abnormalities of reproductive system occurs in 6-79% of women who are involved in sports activities. However, menstrual dysfunctions exist in female college athletes, but few studies have been conducted on this topic and effective sports factors. Menstrual dysfunctions have a wide range and may lead women to infertility. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of exercise indices on menstrual dysfunctions in female college athletes.
Methods: This study was a descriptive analytical one conducted on 246 female college athletes studying in Azarbaijan Shahid Madani university, Azarbaijan, Iran, 2012. Sampling was convenience. Data were collected by a questionnaire of demographic information, exercise indices and information about menstrual cycles. Data were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistical methods and SPSS software version 14. P value less than 0.05 was considered significant.
Results: There was a significant positive relationship between volume of exercising (the number of hours of exercising per week) and menstrual dysfunctions (menorrhagia, metrorrhagia and polymenorrhea) (p<0.05), but, no significant relationship was found between these dysfunctions and parameters of type of sport, its frequency and duration of the exercise (p>0.05).
Conclusion: Exercise with high volume can lead to irregular uterine bleeding, including prolonged or severe bleeding (menorrhagia), bleeding between menstrual periods and irregular (metrorrhagia) and recurrent bleeding (polymenorrhea) in female college athletes.