Taking the pill would help sportswomen to protect themselves from ruptures of the anterior cruciate ligament.
Birth control pills may reduce the risk of anterior cruciate ligament rupture in female athletes, according to a large observational study involving more than 165,000 patients (aged 15-49), published in the journal The Physician and Sportsmedicine.
knee joint
The anterior cruciate ligament is located at the knee joint. It involves three bones: the femur, which corresponds to the thigh bone; the tibia, which refers to the leg bone; and the patella, which makes up the knee bone.
One out of two athletes stops their career because of a rupture of the cruciate ligament, which is much more common in women. 20-50% of them will develop arthritis within 10-20 years of their injury.
Reconstructive surgery
Cruciate ligament reconstruction rates in women who took birth control pills in the 12 months prior to injury and underwent surgery (82,874) were compared with those of an age-matched control group with a similar injury and not taking the pill (82,874). A total of 465 women in the pill group required cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery between 2007 and 2017, compared to 569 in the control group.
These results indicate that women taking oral contraceptives were 18% less likely to need reconstructive surgery than controls. The research, which took ten years, also found that the pills were more protective in young women aged 15 to 19.
Suppress hormonal surges
The authors believe that taking the pill, which contains hormones such as estrogen and progesterone, can suppress hormonal surges during the menstrual cycle, leading to a lower rate of injury. “Young athletes use oral contraceptives for a variety of reasons, including to regulate their menstrual cycle and/or prevent pregnancy. Reduced risk of injury could be another benefit,” says Dr. DeFroda.
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