Potential future interventions to reduce reproductive dysfunction and its sequelae in military training
| Intervention | Potential benefit |
|---|---|
| Screening for disordered eating | With the availability of eating behaviour screening questionnaires for athletes,83 84 screening for components of the Triad may be feasible and worthwhile. Increasing the ability of military trainers to identify disordered eating may be advisable. |
| Psychological training | Dispositional resilience (an attitude to succeed despite adversity) may protect against menstrual disturbance and psychological stress and anxiety,5 92 and with rapid screening available,109 it may be that specialised, targeted input to military training aimed at fostering this may be of benefit.83 92 100 |
| Dietary education or manipulation | Increased dietary intake can improve luteinising hormone pulsatility107 and dietary education can successfully improve dietary intake.110 A programme of education might reduce or prevent reproductive dysfunction in female military trainees. |
| Protected time allotted for meals and sleep | Protecting time for eating and rest might prevent the adverse effects associated with sleep deprivation96 and improve energy availability.111 |
| Pretraining standards | With more information about the nature of reproductive dysfunction in female military training and its long-term sequelae, it might be appropriate to amend selection standards, identifying women most at risk. |