Ask Dr. Greg — Women's Sports Forum

Q: Dear Dr. Greg,

Help! I'm losing my hair! I'm a competitive track athlete finishing up my last year of college. Lately, I have gobs of hair on my brush or tangled up in the shower drain. Although things are very stressful now with school, family, and track, I love my sport. Could running be causing my hair loss?

Natalie | Track and Field, Class of 2022

A: Dear Natalie,

I'm glad you asked. Don't quit track over your hair loss. It turns out that hair loss is actually quite rare for college-age women from sports. Rather than leaving athletics, I recommend you get a medical evaluation for common causes of hair loss for young women athletes. Here are the most likely causes (in no particular order)…

Q: Dear Dr. Greg,

Thanks to brave athletes like Naomi Osaka, depression and mental health are finally gaining the attention they deserve in the sports community. I'm a retired basketball player, and I've been dealing with depression most of my adult life. The pills I've been taking barely help. Is there a natural option I can try?

Jasmine | Retired WNBA

A: Dear Jasmine,

Thank you for sharing the story of your battle with depression. For too long, the sports world swept the dangers of mental illness under the rug. Athletes had to suffer alone. Now, it looks like things are starting to improve.

Q: Dear Dr. Greg,

I’m a retired gymnast, and I need help with anxiety. During my playing years, I had a hard time with anxiety. I was always worried about my diet, appearance, parents, and my next match. The stress didn’t stop me from competing, but it made life tougher for my family and me. Now that I’m retired, my anxiety seems even worse. Do you have any advice?

Jill | Retired Gymnast

A: Dear Jill,

If you’re feeling anxious, you’re not alone. Anxiety is common, particularly for female athletes. Women suffer from anxiety twice as often as their male counterparts, according to reports. In addition to the causes of stress you mentioned, many athletes feel anxious about injury, overtraining, forced retirement. Unfortunately, anxiety can cause injury, overtraining, and burnout…

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Ask Dr. Greg is where renowned health and wellness expert and cofounder of Women’s Sports Forum, Dr. Gregory Charlop, answers athlete's questions about nutrition, sleep, mental health and more. Dr. Greg improves the lives of athletes with high-performance wellness solutions.

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