Research Interests
Female Athlete Triad, Bone Health & Exercise, Menstrual Cycle Disturbances & Exercise, Endocrinology, Nutrition & Physical Activity, Body Composition, Physiological Mechanisms
Research Focus
Due to my own story, I have a deep passion for the health of female athletes. As such, my research has focused on the Female Athlete Triad, which is a syndrome characterized by low energy availability, menstrual cycle disturbances (such as amenorrhea), and low bone mass (see Figure below). For more information or questions about the Female Athlete Triad, I encourage you to contact me and view the website for the Female and Male Athlete Triad Coalition.
Within the components of the Female Athlete Triad, my primary focus area has been reproductive function and bone health of female athletes.
Strong evidence suggests that habitual exercise is beneficial for most, if not all, bodily systems, including the silent but vital skeletal system. Young female athletes represent a unique environment for bone health. The bones of female athletes are exposed to the osteogenic effects of regular physical activity; however, there remains a concern for optimal bone health in this population. Underlying this concern is the fact that up to 60% of female athletes, including both recreational and competitive athletes, may have a severe menstrual disturbance, such as amenorrhea (absence of menses). The physiological adaptations that coincide with an energy-deficient environment and menstrual dysfunction contribute to low bone mass.
It is well established that exercising girls and women with amenorrhea have lower bone mineral density than their healthy, eumenorrheic counterparts. However, the phrase "bone health" encompasses more than clinically-measured bone mineral density but also includes bone geometry and structure, all of which are important components of bone strength. Most of the research conducted to date has focused on bone mineral density as the primary outcome variable, highlighting the limited information available regarding bone geometry and structure in athletes presenting with and/or recovering from the components of the Female Athlete Triad.
Consequently, my research has focused on multiple components of bone health in young, exercising women as a result of and during recovery from an energy deficiency and severe menstrual disturbances.
Research Projects
During PhD Program
Project Coordinator for the following studies:
Study design: 12-month RCT
- 2013-2015 AWS-PSU: Active Women's Study at Penn State University
- 2011-2015 "Refuel" RCT: The Impact of Increased Caloric Intake on Bone Health
Study design: 12-month RCT
- 2011-2015 Stress Fractures and Energy Deficiency in Premenopausal Exercising Women
- 2010-2011 Validation of iDXA body composition using a 4-compartment model
During Postdoctoral Training
- Primary research focus was the impact of hormonal contraceptives on bone health in young women. The published literature to date has failed to definitively answer the question about whether oral contraceptives are beneficial or harmful to bone health. Due to the widespread use of oral contraceptives, both in the general population and among female athletes, it is important to determine the mechanisms by which hormonal contraceptives may influence bone health.
- Involved with the design of two research projects that use novel, but different, techniques to assess the impact of oral contraceptives on bone health
- 12-month crossover study that assesses bone metabolism using 41Calcium.
- 3-month pilot study and a 24-month RCT that explores the impact of different hormonal contraceptives on the hepatic production of IGF-1.
Research Skills
- Study design
- Grant writing
- Coordinating both cross-sectional studies and randomized controlled trials
- Human Subjects Institutional Review Board Applications, Continuing Reviews, & Research Compliance
- Bone density & geometry imaging (DXA & pQCT scans)
- Body composition assessment (DXA, underwater weighing, BodPod, deuterium dilution)
- Indirect calorimetry to assess resting metabolic rate and aerobic fitness (VO2max)
- Assessment of reproductive & metabolic hormones using urine and serum