Bone Health in Female Runners Intervention Trial (B-FIT)

Many women endurance athletes experience menstrual irregularities. It is now recognized that the hormonal changes associated with these interruptions to the menstrual cycle can lead to weakened bones. Weak bones put women at risk for stress fractures and for early osteoporosis. This is a serious health concern for women runners.

Poor skeletal health in young women often goes unrecognized because its consequences may not be immediate. A woman with abnormally low bone strength will remain unaware of the problem until she fractures unexpectedly or until she has a bone density test done. By this time it may too late to reverse the bone loss.

The B-FIT study (the Bone health in Female runners Intervention Trial) is a multi-center trial of the effects of estrogen-use on bone mass and stress fracture incidence in distance runners. Additionally, the study is serving as an educational campaign to raise awareness among collegiate cross country coaches and athletes. Since last autumn, we have spoken at nearly forty college campuses about bone health.

We currently have athletes from 18 colleges across the country involved in the study, including schools from the Boston, Los Angeles, Stanford, and Michigan areas. In addition, we have expanded our recruiting campaign to non-college settings. About half of our athletes are non-collegiate.

Volunteers should run about 35 miles/week during peak training, and cannot have taken oral contraceptives within the past six months. They must be willing to travel to UCLA three times over two years to have bone and fat measurements taken and for an initial women's health check-up (expenses are paid by the study).

If you would like to participate in the study, have questions, or would like us to provide information on bone health at your running event, please call (toll-free) at 1-877-RUN-BFIT (786-2348) or e-mail luetters@leland.stanford.edu.

For more information about bone health in female athletes or about the B-FIT study, please visit our website at http://www.stanford.edu/~kcobb/bfit/

Volunteers will be making a substantial contribution to the health of future women athletes. The results of this study will be of considerable importance to athletes, coaches, and physicians everywhere.