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periods and training
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Hi girls!

Who has very irregular periods associated with training? It's been almost 60days since my last periods now... I'm getting anxious (and no, I'm not pregnant, I did a test after 40 days). I train 10-14hrs/w. Last autumn, when I trained 5-7hrs/w, my periods were +/- at every 30-35 days, but lasted 10-11 days! It's definitively not a problem of body fat, I'm about at 18-20%. When I trained a lot in the past years, I was on the pills, so my periods were regular, but since I have stopped to take it, it's freaking irregular!
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Re: periods and training [IMV] [ In reply to ]
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I too have somewhat irregular periods as well with my longest stretch being 61 days - that was during my most intense racing/training time. Typically during the off season my periods go to about 37-38 days. But they last 4-5 days, no matter how long between cycles. Just was at the OB/GYN and she thought with my training load and racing that this is to be expected and she is not so concerned.

I have never been on the pill so my periods have been evolving during all my years of training - there have been patterns but definitely have changed over time.
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Re: periods and training [IMV] [ In reply to ]
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hey there. i'm going through similar problems, extended time between periods.

this past Friday i went to a naturopathic physcian to get some perspective, and she sent me home with saliva panels to test hormones and adrenal gland. also, i'm to increase the magnesium, B complex and some other things. her belief is that my adrenal glad is not functioning properly, and my liver is having a hard time with hormones because of some nutritional deficiencies and extreme consumption of caffeine.

body fat is certainly not a problem for me, and now i'm only training about 4 times a week, 8 hours tops...and this is cross training, no running, just alot of walking, weights, and some other things.

my history was BCP for 13-15 years, plus years and years of athletics. went off BCP last year.

after seeing the NP Friday, so far, i've cut back my caffeine, and have made the dietary changes as suggested. already i can tell you that shooting breast pain has stopped (thank God! that pain sucked) and one breast has a marked reduction in the feel of fibrocycstic lumps, horray!

anyway, just telling you this to say you're not alone, maybe a naturopathic doc could help you. personally, i believe there is a time and place for everything--surgery, perscriptions, antibiotics, nutrition, accupuncture, naturopathy, etc.

it was not my choice to get on perscription hormones again to become "regulated", so i'm taking this route and hope to feel much much better very soon...things are already looking up, yippie!

good luck,
kitty
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Re: periods and training [IMV] [ In reply to ]
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Does 10 months between periods (without being pregnant) count as irregular? :)

Yeah, I'm going through this right now too only I was on the pill so my periods should have been coming regardless. In January my reproductive hormones tested really low but my doctor wasn't sure if this was possibly due to the pill, IM training last year, other factors, so she pulled me off the pill and we're retesting at the end of March to try and get a truer picture of what's going on.

The question is whether it's training making your periods wacky or something else going on. Sorry, I'm really not trying to make you more nervous! But it may be worth talking to your doc and possibly going in for some blood work if s/he recommends it.


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Re: periods and training [lilpups] [ In reply to ]
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The big concern when athletes lose their menstrual cycle or have it be very irregular is that estrogen is too low therefore bone density suffers. It is not clear whether this is due to stress on the body from rigorous workouts or low body fat or both - regardless if an athlete comes in to see me and has amenorrhea (absence of menses) or very irregular menses I put them on the pill to give the estrogen for bone protection. Skipping periods on the pill is not a big deal - just means you did not build enough of a lining to shed.
as to the poster whose naturopath is doing saliva testing - the mouth is not an end organ for estrogen and those numbers are not reliable. I have performed that testing on women who really want it, but again when I have drawn blood at the same time as saliva testing (whether for thyroid, adrenals or estrogen) the numbers are vastly different. The usefulness of daily testing is also questionable. A reasonable picture can be obtained by doing day 1-3 testing and day 18-21 (one of each not all ;)

It makes sense teleologically that when training hard menses is absent - the organism is under stress the first thing to go is reproduction - problem is we need the estrogen for bone protection!

-cat

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cat
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Re: periods and training [IMV] [ In reply to ]
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I'm on CD 88 and counting so you're not alone. I've been doing some reading regarding adrenal gland, insulin resistance and PCOS. I went for some blood work on Friday but my follow up appointment isn't until April 21st. Its a long ways away so I'm attempting a self diagnosis and looking to find "natural" ways to get my cycle back on track.

I find it hard to cut back on caffeine this time of year, mostly because I'm looking for that warm beverage. I will attempt to cut back to one or less a day for work (which is very doable) and nothing for weekends.

Okay the sun is out and we have Family Day here in Ontario so its a holiday for some of us. I gotta get my butt out the door for a run, albeit a wet one after all the freezing rain we got last night. Hopefully I don't wipe out :)
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Re: periods and training [CatIsTriing] [ In reply to ]
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thanks for mentioning this about the saliva testing; it is over many days. maybe blood work would be better (but i hate getting blood taken. :(

you mentioned it makes sense while training. what about after a person has stopped high volume training, and several months has gone by? :(
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Re: periods and training [kittycat] [ In reply to ]
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I'M PREGNANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just got back from an appointment at the Dr, ans she prescibed me a blood test and a pill to start my periods... But I decided to do a pregnancy test, just in case.... and YES! It's positive!

So if you want to become pregnant, here is my trick: Sign up for a race that you really want do (I signed up for Orlando 70.3), and then, train hard for that race... and you'll get pregnant!
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Re: periods and training [IMV] [ In reply to ]
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Congratulations!!! Hopefully that's good news for you (missing the tri isn't that big a deal in the grand scheme of things).

I think it's funny that the ONLY time in my life when I've had regular periods was last summer when I was training for IMC. Ever since the start of my period it's been anywhere from 5-8 weeks in between but last year for five months it came every 4 weeks, right on my overload week (I think my body was punishing me!). As soon as IMC was done it all went out of whack again.
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Re: periods and training [kittycat] [ In reply to ]
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I would be looking at your body fat, and the two blood test times - day 1,2 or 3 to look at FSH, estradiol, LH, thyroid studies, and then day 18-21 to see progesterone a levels and repeat FSH, estradiol, LH....

so many reasons.....can take time for cycles to resume, there are lots of supplements and herbs that I use and sometimes to jump start will use meds....

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cat
Sponsored by Suntheanine, Lycored and Celadrin
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Re: periods and training [IMV] [ In reply to ]
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congrats!!!

I got pregnant also right when I was not thinking I would without intervention - signed my residency contract and boom next day got pregnant! no regrets my 2 boys are great.

races will always be there!

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cat
Sponsored by Suntheanine, Lycored and Celadrin
http://www.lycored.com/web/content/library.asp http://suntheanine.com/Research.cfm http://celadrin.com/pages/studies.php
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Re: periods and training [CatIsTriing] [ In reply to ]
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That's true that I will probably miss training and racing, but I'M sure it's worth it...

And I know I'll do IMs later, and my kids will be at the finish line!
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Re: periods and training [IMV] [ In reply to ]
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so totally worth it!!! and my boys are so excited and into my doing this! they have even done some 5ks with me and I will throw them in a kids tri....they have fun volunteering with me.....
had I started this earlier I would have gotten them the little tees that say future ironman.....

congrats again!!!

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cat
Sponsored by Suntheanine, Lycored and Celadrin
http://www.lycored.com/web/content/library.asp http://suntheanine.com/Research.cfm http://celadrin.com/pages/studies.php
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Re: periods and training [IMV] [ In reply to ]
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In Reply To:
I'M PREGNANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just got back from an appointment at the Dr, ans she prescibed me a blood test and a pill to start my periods... But I decided to do a pregnancy test, just in case.... and YES! It's positive!

So if you want to become pregnant, here is my trick: Sign up for a race that you really want do (I signed up for Orlando 70.3), and then, train hard for that race... and you'll get pregnant!
WOW, CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!
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Re: periods and training [IMV] [ In reply to ]
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Congratulations!
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Re: periods and training [IMV] [ In reply to ]
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Congratulations :) I've been putting off signing up for a real race but maybe thats what I need....I'm off to search for a race....its nice to know that there could be hope for me as well!
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Re: periods and training [Rika] [ In reply to ]
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And in addition, I was supposed to register for IM Canada at the 70.3... I did my plan for the next summer. It's really strange how it happened! My ovulation test was negative, I did a pregnancy test after 40 days and it was negative too (but I should have been more concerned, bc it was not 100% clear), and now, 56 days later, it's positive. Hopefully I will pass the 12 weeks!
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Re: periods and training [IMV] [ In reply to ]
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Congratulations!
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Re: periods and training [IMV] [ In reply to ]
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Oh...I'm sorry...I thought this was a thread about periodized training....I'll leave now....
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