Gym culture is spreading faster and is majorly seen among youngsters. While it is not bad to indulge in workouts, excessive exercise can be perilous. A 23-year-old woman in eastern China has claimed that she suffered a hormonal imbalance after exercising aggressively, causing early menopause.
The woman, who lives in Zhejiang province, became so “addicted” to exercising that she lost all sense of time. According to the South China Morning Post, she revealed that she used to work out six times a week, with each session lasting around 70 minutes. Over time, she started observing changes in her body and noticed that her menstrual flow gradually reduced, lasting for only two hours before completely stopping.
Medical examinations further revealed that her hormone levels were comparable to those of a 50-year-old. Doctors also told her that she had symptoms of kidney deficiency and advised her to stop working out. She was put on medication to help maintain hormonal balance.
The woman said she had earlier weighed around 65 kg due to binge eating, though she did not disclose her current weight or height. She added that her menstrual cycle remained regular even after taking a month-long break from exercise following a previous illness and hospitalisation.
“Now I work out a lot, causing endocrine disorders. I also had insomnia recently. This result is like killing the goose that lays the golden egg,” she said.
She added that “adequate body weight and fat mass are essential for puberty, regular menstruation and fertility”. According to Dr Sabharwal, leptin—a hormone produced mainly by fat tissue—acts as a key connector between the body’s energy stores and the reproductive system by regulating neuroendocrine functions.
“Weight-loss–related amenorrhoea is defined as the absence of periods for more than six months following a rapid weight loss of 10–15%,” she said, noting that energy deficiency suppresses the hypothalamic–pituitary–ovarian axis. This leads to reduced hormone secretion, poor follicular development, lack of ovulation and low oestrogen levels.
Dr Sabharwal warned that prolonged low oestrogen levels can affect multiple systems beyond fertility. “It increases the risk of low bone density, osteoporosis, stress fractures, mood and cognitive disturbances, and cardiovascular disease,” she said. While FHA is potentially reversible, she cautioned that recovery can be slow and unpredictable, stressing that “early recognition and personalised treatment are essential, especially in young women.”
Curated by Shiv Shakti Mishra
