Do Gymnasts Get Periods?

Do gymnasts get periods? Yes, they should. A lot of gymnasts don’t, and our sport has treated that as normal for way too long. Maybe you’ve heard it from a coach, another gym mom, or even a doctor: “It’s just the training.” Here’s the thing. A missing or late period is NOT a badge of honor. It’s one of the clearest signs a gymnast isn’t getting enough fuel.

As a former gymnast who lost her period for years, and now a sports dietitian who works with gymnasts every day, I want you to know what’s normal, what’s not, and what to do about it.

When should a gymnast get her period?

The average age for a girl to get her first period is around 12. There’s some natural variation, but it’s a myth that gymnasts are supposed to get their period later.

The first year or so of periods can be irregular. That’s normal. After that, cycles should settle into a pattern of about every 21 to 35 days.

The menstrual cycle is often called a “vital sign” for girls and women, because it tells us whether the body has enough energy to support growth, hormones and bones.

Why don’t some gymnasts get their periods?

The most common reason is simple: not enough fuel for how much they train. We call this low energy availability. The body only has so much energy to go around. When training takes most of it, the body protects itself by shutting down “extras,” and the reproductive system is one of the first things to go.

The reality is, most of the time this isn’t on purpose. Practice hours go up, growth spurts hit, and the gymnast’s eating doesn’t keep up. Other times it’s driven by restriction or disordered eating. As a parent or coach, be cautious and curious.

What is RED-S?

RED-S stands for Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport. It used to be called the Female Athlete Triad (low energy, missing periods and weak bones). In 2014, the International Olympic Committee renamed it RED-S, because it affects boys and men too, and it reaches way beyond periods.

The root cause is the same: not enough energy for the work being done. It can show up as:

• No period by 15, or periods that stop or skip
• Frequent injuries, or injuries that won’t heal (especially stress fractures)
• Not progressing in the gym, or conditioning feeling harder than it should
• Getting sick often
• Mood changes, low energy and burnout

And you can’t tell by looking. Underfueling happens at every body size. Plenty of gymnasts with RED-S look “normal” or even strong.

Isn’t it just because she’s so lean?

Not exactly. We now know that if a gymnast is fueled enough for her training (and recovering physically and mentally), her cycle should still work. That’s great news. It means she doesn’t have to quit gymnastics to get her period back. She needs to eat more, and that usually takes help from a sports dietitian.

Do gymnasts get their periods later because of genetics?

Sometimes, but don’t let that end the conversation. Two things can be true: a gymnast can be a late bloomer AND be underfueled. “I got mine late too” doesn’t rule out a fueling problem. The better question is: is her body getting enough fuel to grow and develop normally?

When is a missing period a concern?

There are two situations to watch for:

• She hasn’t started her period by 15. This is called primary amenorrhea. In high-level gymnasts, it’s usually low energy availability. But it can also be another medical issue, like PCOS or a hormone condition that needs an endocrinologist.
• She had periods, and they stopped. Missing three months in a row (after that first irregular year) is called secondary amenorrhea. Skipping cycles here and there counts as a warning sign too.

In either case, it’s worth a visit to her pediatrician and an evaluation with a sports dietitian. Her doctor can check her development (Tanner staging) and rule out other causes. Before I worked with gymnasts full time, I worked in a pediatric endocrinology clinic, side by side with physicians on cases exactly like these. The nutrition piece gives the doctor really important information.

Does my gymnast need to gain weight to get her period back?

Maybe, and that’s OK. Gymnasts are often scared to eat more because they don’t want to “get fat.” But being thinner does NOT equal better performance. Often, chasing a leaner look is exactly when performance starts to slide.

The good news? It usually doesn’t take a huge amount of weight gain. Many athletes get their period back with a modest gain and time once they’re fueled consistently. A growing gymnast may need more, because she also has to catch up to her growth curve. How much is different for every athlete, which is why we never pick a number off the internet. For more on this, read How Much Should a Gymnast Weigh?

I worked with a 15 year old high-level gymnast who had gotten her period around 13. After a move across the country, a gym change, family stress and pressure to be “thinner,” she started restricting, lost weight and lost her period. After months of working together on normal eating and weight restoration, her period came back once her weight returned to where it had been.

One more thing: a period coming back doesn’t always mean she’s ovulating every month yet. Keep following up with her doctor until her cycles are consistent.

What does a missing period have to do with bone health?

A LOT. Many gymnasts are secretly happy not to have a period. But without enough estrogen, the body can’t keep bone building and bone breakdown in balance. Bones get weaker.

That’s why we see hard-to-heal stress fractures in the back, hips, pelvis and feet in underfueled gymnasts. In some cases it shows up as low bone density for her age. And missing only about 300 calories a day can be enough to start causing bone loss. Think about how easy that is to miss for a gymnast training 20+ hours a week.

Here’s what makes it urgent: girls build most of their peak bone mass by about age 18. What happens to her bones in her teen years affects the rest of her life. All the calcium and vitamin D in the world won’t fix this on their own. Her bones need enough total calories, protein, carbs and fat.

This is also part of why gymnastics doesn’t have to stunt growth, but underfueling can.

Is birth control the answer for a missing period?

Often a gymnast with no period gets put on birth control to “regulate” her cycle or “protect her bones.” Be aware: it doesn’t fix the actual problem.

The bleed on the pill is a withdrawal bleed, not a true period. It can hide the warning sign while she stays underfueled, and the pill hasn’t been shown to fix bone loss caused by low energy. If a doctor suggests it, it’s fair to ask, “What’s causing her missing period, and how are we fixing that?” There are situations where birth control is the right call, but it should never be the first or only plan for a missing period caused by underfueling.

What if she has her period, but it’s really painful?

Getting a period is step one. A period that comes with brutal cramps, heavy bleeding or bad PMS isn’t something she just has to “deal with” either. Underfueling, low carbs, stress and mineral imbalances all play a role. In our practice, we look at fueling first, and we also use mineral testing (HTMA, hair tissue mineral analysis) alongside labs to see what’s going on and guide targeted support. Read more in Gymnast Periods, PMS, and Birth Control.

My story: I was told it was normal too

I don’t mind sharing my personal story. I hope it helps parents and gymnasts reading this know they aren’t alone when it comes to period and weight issues.

As a gymnast, I got my period around 12, and then it took 6 months to get another one. That part is normal. The first year is expected to be irregular. But around 14, my training intensified to 4 hours a day, 5 days a week, PLUS my own conditioning at home on the weekends. I’d lose my period every summer when training was intense, and then maybe have 2 or 3 cycles between January and May. We were told this was normal and didn’t think much more about it.

Looking back, this was secondary amenorrhea from underfueling. I barely ate breakfast, ate like a bird at lunch, had no pre-workout or intra-workout nutrition, and picked at dinner. It only got worse when my eating issues intensified around 16, when I was diagnosed with an eating disorder.

Then it got complicated. I retired from gymnastics during my senior year of high school, and I still didn’t get a period my entire freshman year of college. I was diagnosed with PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome). Diagnosis requires two of three things: infrequent periods, higher androgens like testosterone, and polycystic ovaries. I had infrequent periods and mildly elevated testosterone, likely tied to the muscle I’d built weight training and “eating clean” all year as I tried to figure out who I was after gymnastics.

A reproductive endocrinologist put me on birth control to “regulate my periods” and help with “weight gain,” even though I was 5’5″ and wore a size 2. I was still really struggling with eating disorder thoughts and behaviors, and that stress mattered too. The menstrual cycle responds to psychological stress, not just nutrition.

I had a bad reaction to the birth control and stopped taking it. Then I made it my “mission” to “heal my hormones.” I read online how to “cure” PCOS (there is no cure, only managing symptoms) and spent a year and a half on crazy diets: paleo, autoimmune paleo, grain-free, lectin-free, dairy-free, sugar-free. I ended up gaining 20 to 25 pounds from a really distorted relationship with food and exercise. My period finally came back once I started eating normally again and started therapy for the first time since my eating disorder diagnosis at 16.

Over the next few years my periods stayed normal, my weight settled back where my body wanted it, and I ate all foods with regular, balanced meals and snacks. That’s a huge part of why I’m so passionate that all foods fit. Crazy dieting did nothing but make my life miserable.

For years I wondered what all of this meant for my fertility. My “lean” type of PCOS seemed so tied to disordered eating and stress. Here’s the good news: once those were resolved, I had zero issues getting pregnant. I share that because so many gymnasts and parents worry the damage is permanent. Getting fueled and getting support can change the story.

So no, “it’s normal for gymnasts” isn’t good enough. Not for my teenage self, and not for your gymnast.

What can parents do?

• Track her cycle (or help her track it) so you notice skipped months early.
• Don’t celebrate a missing period, and don’t let anyone tell her it means she’s training hard enough.
• Check her fueling. Is she eating before practice, during long practices, and right after? Our free Gymnast Fueling Quiz is a quick place to start, and here’s how to spot acute vs chronic under-fueling.
• See her pediatrician if she’s 15 with no period, or her periods have stopped. Ask what’s causing it, not just how to make it come back.
• Work with a pediatric sports dietitian who knows gymnastics, so getting her period back doesn’t turn into a fight about food or weight.

For more on growth and timing, read the high-level gymnast and puberty.

FAQ

Do gymnasts get their periods later?

Many do, but it isn’t normal or healthy. The average first period is around 12. A gymnast with no period by 15 should be checked by her doctor and a sports dietitian.

Why don’t gymnasts get periods?

Usually because they aren’t eating enough for how much they train (low energy availability). Other medical causes, like PCOS, need to be ruled out too.

Is it bad for a gymnast to lose her period?

Yes. It’s a sign her body doesn’t have enough energy, and it puts her bones at risk for stress fractures and low bone density.

Can a gymnast get her period back without quitting?

Yes. Most gymnasts get their period back by fueling enough for their training, with the right support. Quitting isn’t required.

Need help?

If your gymnast hasn’t started her period, has lost it, or keeps getting injured, we are your people. We help gymnasts fuel enough to grow, get their cycles back and stay in the sport. Learn more about The Balanced Gymnast® Program.