Question

1. What effect does estrogen have in calcium homeostasis? what concerns would a woman athlete seeking to use hormonal contraceptives (containing both estrogen and progestin) have? Be thorough with your response.

no concept map needed. just thoroughly explain it

Answer 1

A. Estrogen hormone does play a role in calcium homeostasis due to the following reasons-

1. Decrease bone resorption.

2. Accelerate linear bone growth and epiphyseal closure.

3. Inhibition of osteoclast pit formation.

4. Increased expression of bone matrix proteins.

5. Post menopausal women with low estrogen have higher risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures.

B. Use of hormonal contraceptives may provide hormone stabilisation and predictable menstrual cycle length to some extent but would have an adverse effect on a long run as it can be masking underlying issues due to natural hormone changes. These contraceptives could be a reason for sports injuries for female athletes which is a matter of concern. Increasing levels of estrogen can cause ligaments and tendons to loosen and make the knees unstable which sport activities. Some of the common side effects of hormonal contraceptives include nausea, headache, fatigue, depression, etc. Moreover it prevents the accumulation of peak bone mass in young women which makes female athletes more susceptible to injuries.

Till today, female athletes are adviced by their trainers to consume contraceptives if suffering from female athlete triad ( energy loss, decreased bone mass, fractures) to improve performance which can be actually deteriorating their hormone system and hence needs to be checked.