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Once a month we females all know whats coming...Mother Nature seems to throw a little curve ball our way at her own time and convenience...yes, you guessed it- our period. The menstrual cycle is vital not only for reproduction but also for proper hormonal balance and bone health. But sometimes being an athlete, we lose our cycles. This is a topic that I have been asked to address several times so here it goes....
According to research done by Mount Sinai School of Medicine, loss of cycle is the body's way of telling an individual that the body's intake of nutrition is inadequate. The term is also known as,
According to research done by Mount Sinai School of Medicine, loss of cycle is the body's way of telling an individual that the body's intake of nutrition is inadequate. The term is also known as,
Amenorrhea, which is defined as an energy imbalance when caloric expenditure of activity
exceeds how much an athlete is consuming.
People need to understand that usually, this energy imbalance is unintentional and not always a case of a disorder. Sometimes, individuals get so caught up in trying to balance all that they have to do in life like: train, work, school, family, etc. and just use more energy than they put in their bodies. Or, it is especially common when an athlete increases the intensity of her training and is not educated or does not know that she needs to consume more calories to meet her new training demands.
It may feel like you are eating enough or that your weight is fine but if you are missing your cycles for more than 3 consecutive months or if your cycles are sporatic, this is your body telling you that somewhere in your diet there is an imbalance and there needs to be a correction. It is simple to change and only you can determine what you can do to help yourself. No one has to tell you that you are underweight or that you are not consuming enough- your body is its best doctor and it knows when to alert you when something is TRULY off.
Many girls are forewarned about the "health consequences" of missing their periods but rarely are these warnings explained, and as a result, a girl focuses on the present (which is running) and is not motivated to change. Well, let me quickly show you some present and future health consequences:
This is something that is so important- do not ignore what your body is trying to tell you. I understand that if you are running well and not getting your period that it is hard to make yourself believe that you need to change what you are doing- however, if you make slight adjustments to your diet whether that be adding more healthy fats, consuming more snacks, etc than I think you will be really surprised at how it will IMPROVE your running even more.
Please read this article for further information- its good: http://www.canyons.edu/offices/health/nutritioncoach/concerns/reseat.asp
Since this is a hard topic and can be talked about forever, contact me if you have any further questions or if you need help.
alexadanielle7@gmail.com
Also refer to the GIRL TALK link on the right for more information!
People need to understand that usually, this energy imbalance is unintentional and not always a case of a disorder. Sometimes, individuals get so caught up in trying to balance all that they have to do in life like: train, work, school, family, etc. and just use more energy than they put in their bodies. Or, it is especially common when an athlete increases the intensity of her training and is not educated or does not know that she needs to consume more calories to meet her new training demands.
It may feel like you are eating enough or that your weight is fine but if you are missing your cycles for more than 3 consecutive months or if your cycles are sporatic, this is your body telling you that somewhere in your diet there is an imbalance and there needs to be a correction. It is simple to change and only you can determine what you can do to help yourself. No one has to tell you that you are underweight or that you are not consuming enough- your body is its best doctor and it knows when to alert you when something is TRULY off.
Many girls are forewarned about the "health consequences" of missing their periods but rarely are these warnings explained, and as a result, a girl focuses on the present (which is running) and is not motivated to change. Well, let me quickly show you some present and future health consequences:
- Your estrogen levels decrease which means that your bone density will decrease which increases your chances for stress fractures/reactions and premature osteoporosis. (This is because bone resorption exceeds bone production)
- Hormones in your body become disrupted- one in particular is cortisol, This is a stress hormone which rises when you are malnourished- you do not want this because it takes protein away from the muscles for energy which can cause higher blood pressure and weaken the immune system.
- You increase your profile for maternal risk. If you plan to be a mother in the future, it is CRUCIAL that you strike a nutritional balance that maintains normal cycles and body weight. Women who have an caloric imbalance, have trouble with cycles, and who are underweight are at risk for delivering a low birth weight baby. This is because her own body is in competition with the fetus for available nutrients in the body and both will suffer. Or worse, women may become infertile because there were not enough calories (especially fat calories) to support the reproductive system.
This is something that is so important- do not ignore what your body is trying to tell you. I understand that if you are running well and not getting your period that it is hard to make yourself believe that you need to change what you are doing- however, if you make slight adjustments to your diet whether that be adding more healthy fats, consuming more snacks, etc than I think you will be really surprised at how it will IMPROVE your running even more.
Please read this article for further information- its good: http://www.canyons.edu/offices/health/nutritioncoach/concerns/reseat.asp
Since this is a hard topic and can be talked about forever, contact me if you have any further questions or if you need help.
alexadanielle7@gmail.com
Also refer to the GIRL TALK link on the right for more information!
