Wellness Wednesday

Underweight Female Runners Are at a Higher Risk for Injury

Despite being able to run faster due to a decreased load, female runners with a BMI of 19 or under are at a higher risk for injury and slower recovery.

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center has looked into the reasoning behind chronic stress fractures in female runners who are underweight. The study took place over a period of three years and looked at Division I athletes from multiple universities. The researchers utilized the Kaeding-Miller classification system, which lead researcher Dr. Timothy Miller assisted in developing, and classified runners injuries on a scale of 1 to 5, taking into account the patient's symptoms, x-ray results, bone density, and CT/MRI imaging.

The researched team focused on runners with grade 5 stress fractures and discovered that those with a BMI of 19 or higher took 13 weeks to recover, while those with a BMI of 19 or lower took 17 weeks to recover. Additionally, the research reinforced the data that 25-50% of running athletes experience a stress fracture during their career, with an increased risk in female runners. The research also emphasizes the importance of maintaining a healthy BMI, which Miller states is around 20-24. Miller says that the ideal BMI range is necessary for runners to protect their bones and lean muscle from the repetitive pounding that running brings.