The hormone cycle and female lifters

Discussion in 'Health and Fitness' started by Frodocious, Dec 21, 2014.

  1. Frodocious

    Frodocious She who MUST be obeyed! Moderator Supporter

    T-Nation recently published a very good article on how hormones can affect performance in women:

    http://www.t-nation.com/training/hormone-cycle-and-female-lifters

    A lot of it rings true for me - particularly the luteal phase. Once I realised how this affected me I started programming it as a deload/recovery week and easing off my lifting/cardio. This was one of the great advantages of keeping a training diary - it allowed me to relate lifting performance to issues with my monthly cycle.

    I was particularly interested in the dietary advice in the article and might try implementing some of it in the coming year.
     
  2. slipthejab

    slipthejab Hark, a vagrant! Supporter

    This issue has a massive effect. People often either don't know or entirely underestimate the influence that the hormonal system has on training... and heck not even just training... Just feeling good during the day.

    The hormonal system is something of a taboo to discuss it seems. In the training world it gets talked about a bit more. However that focus seems to be all male dominated. Usually related to mens testosterone levels. But it's on the radar in some way in the western world.

    Where I'm living now (Philippines) - you'd be hard pressed to find anyone outside of the bodybuilding community that even knows that your hormones hold great influence over your behavior and well being. I suspect it's never discussed in schools here at any level.... except perhaps for medical school. It's no wonder they have the infant mortality rate they do. Tsk.

    Sorry Frodo - that veered OT into social issues and not so much training issues. :D
     
  3. Frodocious

    Frodocious She who MUST be obeyed! Moderator Supporter

    Not a problem Slip. I entirely agree with you, that the female hormone system needs to be discussed more (and not just in the context of training).

    It took me ages to work out that the dip in performance I was having each month was directly related to my cycle (as I mentioned in the previous post, this was one of the benefits of keeping a training diary). The best way I've ever heard the phenomenon described (at least in how it relates to me) was that it 'feels like trying to walk through treacle'. In the luteal phase I have no energy for cardio (even walking upstairs becomes exhausting) and lifts that I can normal manage easily become far too heavy for me - hence why I take that week as a deload or off week.
     
  4. Mangosteen

    Mangosteen Hold strong not

    the menstrual cycle and training has a chapter of it own in most S&C books (BWL, NSCA and most stuff by human kinetics) although it deals with more than hormones alone

    outside of the academic physiology community, it doesnt really get much attention apart from youth coaches (because they deal with pubescent athletes)
     

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