Are you sure it's the lactation specifically that's affecting you? I would think taking a year off by itself, not to mention having a baby and mocving to a higher altitude would make someone slower.

I've heard that lactation can blunt the stress response (corticosteroids) in animals, but I'm not sure that would explain any changes in exercise performance.

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My wife is breast feeding our two month old, and I do not know about you, but her performance went in the crapper. She is just starting over with her training, everything is a struggle for her, on top of that she has low blood pressure. I had to take her into the doctors yesterday because she was dizzy and fainting, her blood pressure was 90 over 50.

She used to be a workout freak, running 40-50 miles a week, riding 50-70 miles a week and swimming for hours and hours. She was never fast, but could go forever. It has been hard for her to face, but she now understands she will not be able to train and race seriously until she is done breastfeeding. That baby was a parasite while inside and it has not been any easier after she was born. Lack of good sleep and not taking care of her food needs (she forgets to eat because of the baby) has really taken a toll on her body.

We have not found info like what you are looking for hormone wise, but I suspect the hormones (prolactin for one) involved for lactation are more geared for retention of fat required specifically for milk production than for athletic performance. Just be careful and go slow, I believe you can really mess up you body if you push it to hard, not to mention stopping lactating which could affect the development of the child.

Good luck on that, in the grand scheme of things a two year sacrifice of performance is not to bad for the reward of a child. I can say that because I am a guy who has no idea what it is like on your end, but do not think the guys have it easy.

Uhm, didn't a certain marathoner have a baby shortly before the 1984 Women's Marathon and go on to win it? :)-,

Perhaps I misremember....

Going to altitude, a year off, plus NO sleep are the probable culprits. Also, how are your iron levels?

-Robert

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"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." ~Anne Frank

If I was sure, I wouldn't have posted the question. ;) Seriously though, I did find the same information about cortisol and lactation. I would guess it is a myriad of things that is affecting me, that being one of them.

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A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is just putting on its shoes.
- Mark Twain

Yes, but the question is, was she still nursing full time? I highly doubt it.

Good question about the iron levels. I have switched to a prenatal that contains ferrochel, and although I have been scoffed at (gently) for thinking it would make a difference over night, I WAS 1 minute faster per mile within 2 days. And I feel a whole lot better.

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A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is just putting on its shoes.
- Mark Twain

If your iron levels are VERY low it will take 8-12 weeks to make a substantial improvement.

Also, the STRESS of moving will really drive your system crazy. I'm absolutely certain that dieing is the only thing worse than moving. I am not kidding. And not getting enough sleep is extremely stressful. Mothers with new babies cannot sleep. I have three kids, so I know. All that baby has to do is blink hard and the average mother is running into his/her bedroom at 3 a.m. It's almost scary how good a mother's hearing becomes. :)

I don't know if JB-S was breast feeding, but I'll bet she was. On the other hand, she was very skinny in those days, so the kid didn't get much if she was breast feeding! (Sorry, Joanie, if you're "listening".)

-Robert

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"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." ~Anne Frank

Yes, you are right about the moving. I hadn't factored the stress thing in.

I have read a study that suggested that even sub-clinical low iron levels have a significant impact on performance. So - perhaps I am just a little bit low from time to time? :)

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A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is just putting on its shoes.
- Mark Twain

I really appreciate hearing about your wife's experience - I feel less alone now. :)

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A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is just putting on its shoes.
- Mark Twain

Something that occurs to me (and you might have already considered this) is the calories that are needed to breastfeed full-time. Quite obviously you are still eating for two. Maybe you could do a quick energy audit and make sure you are taking in enough calories.

That is a good idea. I pretty much eat as much as I want to (mainly healthy food) and weigh-in on occasion to make sure I am not losing weight. Most likely my body is just not going to allot much energy toward fitness at this time since it's primary directive is to feed the baby. That's OK, it's well worth it. :)

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A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is just putting on its shoes.
- Mark Twain

Out of curiousity, what city are you in now that is at 8,000' ?

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Where would you want to swim ?

Well, the closest town is Ridgway Colorado and Telluride is 37 miles up the road (to give you an idea of the area). The locals tell me the road between here and Telluride is a great ride.

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A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is just putting on its shoes.
- Mark Twain

cool area. I did the san juan huts mtb ride in August.

Did you! How was it? My husband is a mountain biker and is hoping to do some local rides. The San Juans are gorgeous, but extremely dangerous during the winter. Highest risk of avalanches in the world (or so I was told).

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A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is just putting on its shoes.
- Mark Twain

fantastic. I'll probably do the southern route (starts in Durango) in the next couple of years. You don't have to be much of a mountain biker to do it. It's mostly on gravel roads. There's lots of single track around the huts for the hardcore mtb'ers, but you can get from hut to hut without hitting much of it. I'd only been on a mtb about 3 x before the trip. the guys I was with would nail the singletrack around the huts when we arrived for the day, and I would just wander off and fish or just hike.