When does a delayed menstruation occur?

When menstruation has been absent for 3 months or longer, it is called amenorrhea, or sufficiently delayed menstruation to warraant a medical diagnosis. Everything shorter than that is just menstruation that is late.

Sometimes diabetes, thyroid deficiency, depression, lack of ovulation due to the contraceptive pill or depo provera, or other medications such as antipsychotics or antidepressants, blood pressure drugs, and allergy medications cause a delayed menstruation. [2,3]

In some cases, the reason for delayed menstruation is insufficient hormone production, polycystic ovaries, a non-functioning thyroid and sometimes even benign tumors.

If your period has been absent for 3 months or more and pregnancy has been ruled out, you should visit your doctor for a proper diagnosis, and where relevant for treatment as well. You can use herbs, but a healthcare professional should help you determine the real cause of your problem.

If you have had irregular periods and delayed menstruation since beginning your periods, you most probably have a hormonal imbalance or polycystic ovary syndrome. You should get hormonal testing and a transvaginal ultrasound so your doctor can check your ovaries and uterus. With these reports, consult your gynecologist who will be able to diagnose you.

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How Does Sport Affect Menstruation?

Extremely intense atheletic programs can caused missing periods or absent periods, and this condition even has a medical name —  athletic amenorrhea. It occurs when extreme exercise and a lean diet stop the hormones that regulate the menstrual cycle from being produced in adequate doses.

The physiological and aesthetic demands of synchronized swimming are similar to those of gymnastics and dance. Furthermore, synchronized swimmers were not known to suffer menstrual disturbance to the same extent as female gymnasts and dancers, or they didn’t have a larger problem: the female athlete triad — disordered eating, amenorrhea, and osteoporosis. [15]

Study analysis revealed that only three of the subjects were oligomenorrhoeic, which means they had menstrual cycles longer than 35 days. In the study, none were suffering from amenorrhea or delayed menstruation. However, synchronized swimmers shared certain physiological characteristics with gymnasts and dancers, so the study questioned why synchronized swimmers and swimmers in general seem to be protected from menstrual abnormalities. [16]

The researchers point to three main theories, which are [16]:

• Immersion in cool water during exercise may allow swimmers to control their core temperature in such a way as to prevent disruption to the intricate physiological systems that control menstruation.

• A high level of body fat is diagnosed in both conventional and synchronized swimmers. This is known to protect against amenorrhea.

• Nutrition is an important factor, since swimmers do not engage in the combination of disordered eating and intensive training to the same extent as other athletes with menstrual disturbances.

• Finally, synchronized swimming does not compromise bone density, since training for this sport is mainly non-weight bearing. That is why it does not build stronger bones either.