Let's talk exercise and cycles - grads welcome

[ironbaby]

I just want to open a dialogue because what I am reading is not matching the anecdotal evidence I am getting from friends. So, talk to me about how (if) exercise effected your cycles - regularity, ovulation, etc.

Based on the literature, amenorrhea typically only happens with extreme exercise and low body weight. I definitely do not fit the low body weight, and I guess my exercise could be categorized as extreme, but I had regular cycles while training. It seems that the marathon itself may be delaying ovulation for me.

So...have you seen any changes based on exercise? Maybe increased exercise actually helped your cycles become more regular?

Let's just talk about it.

[notagoddess]

I don't know specifically, but TCOYF keeps mentioning how your body may ovulate late or not ovulate at all as a result of a serious stress. Maybe your body perceived the marathon as a reason to delay ovulation? It is an extreme event for your body, so it would make sense.

[mugster]

When I started treatments with an RE, she restricted my running to 5, 5 mile runs per week. She was specifically concerned with long runs (rather than overall mileage)


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[singingsea]

Nov 20, 2015 9:26:31 GMT -5 ironbaby said:

Based on the literature, amenorrhea typically only happens with extreme exercise and low body weight. I definitely do not fit the low body weight, and I guess my exercise could be categorized as extreme, but I had regular cycles while training. It seems that the marathon itself may be delaying ovulation for me.

So...have you seen any changes based on exercise? Maybe increased exercise actually helped your cycles become more regular?

Let's just talk about it.

My anecdote: I'm not a marathon runner but since my loss I started hardcore (well for me) running. I probably run 5-6 miles total a week. So far it hasn't effected my cycle lengths at all. Which are longerish 33-35 days. Then again I'm not temping so I do not know whether it's effecting when I ovulate.

Edit: something to add that I read. "Very vigorous exercise can affect ovulation, and thereby disrupt menstrual cycles," says Jessica Scotchie, a reproductive endocrinologist practicing in Chattanooga, Tenn. "The pituitary gland interprets the strenuous exercise as meaning that this is not an optimal time to further stress the body with reproduction, and thus shuts down the signaling to the ovary to promote ovulation." Researchers also add that extreme exercise could affect implantation, a fertilized egg's ability to attach to the inside of the uterus.

A study published in March in Fertility and Sterility revealed that normal-weight woman—those with a body mass index (BMI) under 25—who engaged in vigorous exercise like running, swimming, and aerobics for five or more hours a week were 42 percent less likely to get pregnant than women who did not exercise at all. The same study, though, found that this high-intensity exercise had no impact on conception for overweight or obese women. In fact, it may be beneficial, as obesity is linked to significantly higher rates of infertility. "Obesity is associated with high sugar levels, which promotes elevated insulin secretion from the pancreas. [This] causes increased testosterone production from the ovary, resulting in irregular menstrual cycles," explains Scotchie.

[mrss44]

I run about 3-4 miles, 3 times a week. I've been trying to push to 5 miles here recently. My doctor didn't say anything about it. I have wondered how much I will run when I get pregnant. I don't wanna stop running. I will discuss it with her when I get there. I haven't seen any change in my cycle prior to starting running to now.

[ironbaby]

mugster, fascinating. I am going to bring it up with my GYN (who is a marathoner herself) at my annual.

singingsea, that article is great! Thanks!

mrss44, it is my goal to run through pregnancy, as long as it is healthy. I just never imagined I'd have to worry about running while trying to get pregnant.

A running partner of mine (on the same program as me, but has not run a marathon this month) is experiencing delayed or missed periods. However, she is much thinner and also doing intense strength training.

[mrss44]

Nov 20, 2015 10:19:58 GMT -5 ironbaby said:

mrss44, it is my goal to run through pregnancy, as long as it is healthy. I just never imagined I'd have to worry about running while trying to get pregnant.

I read an article a few months ago that over exercise in the TWW can be hard on implantation but three days a week was fine. Per article.

[BabyStandish]

*following*

My period hasn't returned yet (I'm bf'ing). I keep thinking my training might be prolonging it's return. I'm about 6 lbs less than what I was before pregnancy, but not underweight but definitely on the lower end. After my marathon next month I'm thinking about cutting my mileage down a bit for a month just to see if that gives my body a boost.

[Deleted]

Unless you are talking extreme low body fat I do not believe exercise affects cycles.

When I was early to mid teens I was athletic/thin (no idea on body fat %) only bled a few times a year but as I gained weight/muscle and body fat my cycles became more regular.

During my pregnancy years (98 to 03 had 4 children) I ran high mileage (45mpw), biked, lifted weights, etc and had no issues with cycles or conceiving. I did actually have body fat calculated and it was around 18% so pretty fit.

As I've continued to age and get heavier with little exercise my cycles are lengthening- natural occurrence for most per-menopausal women. (no idea of my body fat now)

edit to add

[jags8]

I basically never exercise, but my cycles were still all over the place. In my 15 months of TTC, I ovulated anywhere for CD16 to CD26. My weight is totally average for my height, have a healthy BMI, but cardio-wise I'm definitely not healthy. That's my anecdote.

[pinkcat]

ironbaby,I posted this in randoms yesterday but I'll share again here for the purposes of the thread.

Over the summer I started running a lot (a lot for me, at least). I was running 5-6 miles at least 4-5 times a week. During this few month span, I noticed that my ovulation was delayed past my "normal" window and was lengthening each month. Additionally, my LP was decreasing each month- from 14 to 11 to 10 to 9. I started to get worried that too much running was affecting my cycles, so I cut back on my runs to only a few days a week, 3-4 miles at a time. Since then my cycle has gone back to it's previous "normal" and my LP has been increasing each month- back to 13 this past cycle.

I know this is very anecdotal and all of this could totally have been a coincidence. None of the research I could find online indicated that the amount of running I was doing could affect my cycles (and I am at a "normal" BMI so being underweight was not a concern).

For me, I felt like all bodies are so different- just because one woman could run 15 miles a day and not affect her cycles, didn't mean it wouldn't affect MY cycles to run a lot. I think maybe the reason there is not a lot of evidence out there on this topic is because it is so different from woman to woman- the amount of exercise can affect us all in unique ways.

I know this isn't science based at all- it's just the conclusion I came to when I was looking into this and running a lot. I felt like for me, personally, the amount I was running was maybe too much and that I should cut back a bit. But I think this distance/frequency can vary for every person.

[Ray]

This happened to me. I am no where near under weight (at the high range of normal) I started doing the Spartan workouts of the day which were quite intense and ended up not ovulating at all one cycle.


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[ohinvrtedworld]

My body seems to get really stressed with any sickness or intense exercise. When I was working out before my wedding, I probably missed 2 months. When I finally went to the doc, it came back the day before.

[ironbaby]

Thanks, pinkcat. That is why I wanted to open this up. There isn't a lot of research that I could find that draws a conclusive picture, and I think you're right about it effecting each of us differently.

I have been training at marathon volume for 5 years now, so I would assume my body is accustomed to that level of stress. In training, I had regular cycles (30-ish days), and for the few months I charted I saw a normal LP of 13 days. This current cycle (where I ran a marathon on CD 4) is the first that I have noticed a difference and am currently CD 30 with no ovulation.

That being said, I had an IUD for 8 years without a period, so I don't have much personal evidence to draw on. Hearing other people's experience, even if not conclusive, certainly helps me feel less alone!

[Ray]

It could also just be a random long cycle ironbaby. I had a 40+ day cycle out of no where in feb/March that I couldn't link to anything. Regular until you're not kinda thing.


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[Rama]

I'm considered obese by BMI standards and have a high body fat %. I have a sedentary lifestyle.

When I get into an exercise routine, my cycles have gone from neverending (requiring Provera to end) to longer-than-average cycle lengths (~45 days). Exercise does make me ovulate when I don't normally and does have a beneficial effect on my cycle lengths.

/anecdote

[pismoduo]

Nov 20, 2015 11:32:33 GMT -5 Ray said:

It could also just be a random long cycle ironbaby. I had a 40+ day cycle out of no where in feb/March that I couldn't link to anything. Regular until you're not kinda thing.


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This. I was going to ask whether this was a recurring thing at this point, or just one cycle.

My cycles were all over the place for the first few months of getting off BC. Then they stabilized down to a fairly consistent O date and LP length. Then, randomly, cycle 13 (last cycle) was almost 70 days and ended up being anovulatory.

I think it's worth keeping in mind that you may be training too much if it keeps happening, but one off cycle isn't abnormal.

[ironbaby]

Ray and pismoduo, you're right. This could be a one-off thing and entirely coincidental that it lines up with a marathon. It got me interested in the concept, though, so I think it's interesting to hear how exercise has effected others.

Rama, that is so awesome that you can draw that correlation. Thanks for showing me the other side of the coin!

[rungirlrun]

I feel like exercise affecting cycles depends on the woman and also may appear to be related but really could be one of many things (or just completely random). I workout pretty heavily (8 marathons, numerous other races, regular strength training, group classes), and have never noticed a change in my cycles. But I've always been pretty regular so I'm sure that helps. I'm not underweight but am on the lower end of normal.

And on the topic of running while pregnant, I ran until 37 weeks with my son and only stopped because the pressure on my pelvis was getting painful. So unless there is cause for concern, you can certainly continue your running routine when pregnant. I found it made labor shorter and recovery easier. Obviously talk to your dr, but this was my experience.

[cnf2013]

I race triathlons and sometimes train up to 15 hours a week of intense swim, bike, run. I've always been regular, about 25-28 day cyvles, and had lite (albeit painful) and short periods.

I was midway through training for a half Ironman when I got pregnant, so my training load was getting pretty high and intense and never once effected my cycles or general window of time I ovulated during. I'm usually on the thinner side too, though I was a bit heavier than usual when I got pregnant, but I've always been a weight yo-yo and that's also never been a concern in regards to my cycles.

As far as running pregnant, I made it through week 31 before I threw in the towel. And it wasn't because my fitness got trashed by any means, but the weight gain and shifted center of gravity was causing me to change my gait and it was destroying my shins. I did run ten miles as part of a relay during my pregnancy. And the guy who was our team captain, his wife was pregnant with number two at the time and was a hardcore marathoner who ran through her pregnancies. My doctors supported me to continue my usual level of training then to back off things like speed, distance, intensity, certain activities as my body told me to. You'll know when you've had enough, believe me you will.

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[cnf2013]

Double post, boooooo.

[helloerrbody]

I exercise quite often - kickboxing and barre (but no running), and that never seemed to affect my cycles at all. I didn't ever do anything as extreme as crossfit or marathons, etc. I also maintained the same level of exercise for several years so it wasn't any change.