Verification in regard to delayed menarche in female athletes

关于女性运动员月经初潮推迟的假说在美国已被提出，但尚未得到证实。因此，我们认为可以通过比较女运动员与非运动员月经初潮年龄与MPV（用小波插值法推导出的青春期峰值最大速度年龄）的差异来验证月经初潮是否延迟。本研究采用小波插值法（WIM）识别生理成熟率指标为初潮年龄，通过检查初潮年龄与初潮年龄的差异来验证女运动员与对照组的月经初潮延迟。以东海地区144名参加国家级比赛的女子大学一年级女运动员为运动员组，从小学一年级至高中三年级（1985 ~ 1987年至1996 ~ 1998年）进行健康检查记录的研究。身高和体重的纵向数据来源于健康检查记录。这些数据中的月经初潮年龄是通过问卷调查来研究的。作为非运动员的对照组与运动员组进行了类似的研究，挑选了78名女性非运动员。运动员组身高MPV年龄与月经初潮年龄的差异为1.62岁（SD=1.25），对照组为1.08岁（SD=0.74）。两组比较差异有统计学意义（P<0.01）。这一发现为运动训练可能导致月经初潮延迟提供了证据。

The hypothesis in regard to delayed menarche in female athletes has been constructed in U.S.A, however, has been not verified yet. Therefore, it would be considered that the verification of delayed menarche can be derived from examination based on comparison between female athletes and nonathletes in regard to the difference between the age at menarche and MPV (Maximum Peak Velocity Age at adolescent peak derived from wavelet interpolation method). In this study, the age at MPV as the index of physical maturity rate was identified by the wavelet interpolation method (WIM), so the delayed menarche in female athletes and control groups is verified based on examination of the difference between the age at menarche and MPV.Health examination records of 144 female athletes of first grade of women university in Tokai erea which participated in the national level competition were researched from the first grade of elementary school until the third grade of high school (from 1985〜1987 to 1996〜1998) as athletes groups. The longitudinal data of height and weight were obtained from the health examination records. The age at menarche in these data were researched by questionaires. The control group as non-athletes was researched as similar to the athletes group, and 78 female non-athletes were picked up. The difference between the age at MPV of height and at menarche in athletes group was 1.62 years (SD=1.25) and was 1.08 years (SD=0.74) in control group. There was a significant difference between the two groups (P<0.01). This finding provides evidence that athletic training may cause delay in menarche.