Amenorrhea, Energy Deficiency & the Female Athlete
Move Your DNA with Katy Bowman
Nutritious Movement
4.8 • 686 Ratings
🗓️ 25 March 2026
⏱️ 53 minutes
🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS
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Summary
We dive into the often-overlooked topic of amenorrhea: the absence of menstruation. Biomechanist Katy Bowman and biologist Dr. Jeannette Loram unpack the science with a focus on Functional Hypothalamic Amenorrhea (FHA) linked to energy deficiency in athletes. They explore how intense training and and sport pressures around leanness or weight can disrupt regular hormonal signals, affecting long-term bone density, cardiovascular health, and performance. They also discuss the original concept of the Female Athlete Triad (low energy availability, menstrual dysfunction, and low bone mineral density) and its evolution into RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport), a more holistic model encompassing many aspects of health and wellbeing.
The conversation expands into evolutionary perspectives, comparing Western menstrual experiences—from menarche to menopause—with those of hunter-gatherer populations like the Hadza, and questioning what “normal” really means. Ultimately, this episode reframes intense athletics as a nuanced practice that must be supported by adequate nutrition and recovery.
Enhanced Show Notes and Full Transcript
00:00 – Intro & Sponsors
02:45 – What Is Amenorrhea?
05:40 – Primary vs Secondary Amenorrhea
09:00 – Functional Hypothalamic Amenorrhea (FHA): Energy deficiency and hormonal suppression
11:10 – Female Athlete Triad → RED-S: Evolution of understanding in sports science
21:30 – The Hadza perspective: menarche to menopause
25:25 – Negative consequences of amenorrhea: Bone Health Â
29:15 – IUD induced amenorrheaÂ
37:00 – Historical and modern timelines for menarche compared to the HadzaÂ
50:45 – Closing thoughts on ancient humansÂ
Links & Research Mentioned:
Substack article that prompted this episodeÂ
Dr Jen Gunter’s article on the hormonal IUD and bone healthÂ
Foraging & Menstruation in the Hadza of TanzaniaÂ
Comparison between The Female Athlete Triad & RED-S
Connect, Move & Learn:
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Your Voice on the Podcast: Read The CreditsÂ
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | This is the Move Your DNA podcast. |
| 0:05.2 | I'm Katie Bowman, Biomechanist and author. |
| 0:09.1 | And I'm Jeanette Lorham, biologist and movement teacher. |
| 0:12.8 | Everybody is welcome here. |
| 0:15.4 | Let's get started. |
| 0:17.2 | Welcome to the Move Your DNA podcast, everyone. |
| 0:20.1 | Before we get started, I wanted to thank our wonderful sponsors. |
| 0:23.6 | The Dynamic Collective is a group of movement-focused companies whose products help bring more natural movement into your everyday life. |
| 0:30.6 | The Dynamic Collective is smart playrooms, offering equipment and design services for creating indoor play and movement spaces for children and adults. |
| 0:40.3 | Get yourself an indoor hanging station ASAP. |
| 0:44.3 | Paluva, five toe shoes that follow the natural shape of your foot and provide a bit of cushioning for harder surfaces, |
| 0:50.3 | a great choice for sports or other higher impact activity. |
| 0:54.8 | Venn design known for their beautifully made floor cushions and ball seats that allow closer to |
| 0:59.5 | the floor sitting and provide opportunities to stretch and move while you work or relax at home. |
| 1:05.0 | My happy feet, these are toe alignment socks that gently separate and stretch your toes while |
| 1:10.3 | you rest, supporting |
| 1:12.0 | natural foot alignment and mobility. You can throw them on when you sleep or when you're watching TV at |
| 1:17.1 | night. Movemate beautifully crafted wooden 3D active standing boards that keep your feet, ankles, |
| 1:24.5 | knees, and spine moving throughout your day when you're at a standing desk, |
| 1:27.7 | or you can put yours in the living room, like I've got mine. |
| 1:30.9 | Ikaria Design, creators of the sole seat, a height adjustable, dual platform chair that gives you options to vary your sitting position |
| 1:38.5 | from cross-legged to a crouch or squat. I'm on mine right now, and I'm squatting. |
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