Causes and Prevention Some of the causes of a stress fracture include poor biomechanics, inflexible or weak muscles, overtraining, doing too much too soon, training on hard surfaces, wearing improper or worn-out training shoes and doing too many races in racing flats in a short period of time. Amenorrhea is associated with decreased estrogen in the body, which limits the ability to process the calcium used to strengthen bones. Eating disorders often lead to poor intake of nutrients, including calcium, and to significant weight loss, which can bring on amenorrhea. The Role of Diet Eating well can play a crucial role in preventing stress fractures. If your diet is short on calcium, your body will steal the mineral from your bones, making them vulnerable to breaking.
Food sources are better than supplements because they are generally better absorbed.
Check the label for the amount of elemental calcium in the tablet, which is more important than the tablet s total weight. Including vitamin D in the diet helps the body absorb calcium. Treatment Treating stress fractures centers on allowing the bone to heal, which takes four to six weeks for most bones. Sometimes nature can use a little help. One Italian study showed that an electrical bone stimulator helped athletes heal slightly quicker from their injuries.