Menopause: How does it affect training?

Menopause means cessation of menstrual cycles due to shut-down of the ovaries. The average age this occurs is around 51 years, so plenty more years of training and competing ahead.

Although no more menstrual bleeds means less hassle and higher levels of iron, it is the lack of regular hormonal cycles that can present challenges. In particular low levels of female hormones oestradiol and progesterone.

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Changing hormone levels can provoke hot flashes, which can disturb sleep and therefore recovery between training sessions. So where possible try to consider other strategies to ensure adequate recovery.

A further result of changing hormone levels is mood swings and cognition “brain fog” which are common symptoms of menopause. So planning a realistic training schedule is helpful.

Body composition tends to change with menopause, so ensuring that training includes resistance/strength work will help to maintain muscle mass. In fact, rather than a high-intensity interval session, substituting with a resistance session would be a good strategy.

The other benefit of including multi-directional skeletal loading exercise in strength and conditioning work is to support bone health. Oestrogen is a key hormone in women for maintaining health bones.

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So absence of this hormone means that extra attention needs to be paid to bone health in terms of mechanical loading, nutrition and vitamin D sport informed supplementation, especially during winter months.

So what about HRT? There are some women for whom HRT is not advised; nevertheless for most women, especially those training and competing in sport, this is an option worth considering and exploring. After all, hormones are key in driving beneficial adaptations to exercise training.

Top image credit: Getty Images

About

Dr Nicky Keay is a sports and dance endocrinologist. As an honorary clinical lecturer in medicine at University College London and previously research fellow in the Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences at Durham University, she conducts clinical research in sports/dance endocrinology. She’s a member of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine and the British Menopause Society, and a speaker on dance endocrinology for the National Institute of Dance Medicine and Science and International Association of Dance Medicine and Science. Dr Nicky is also the author of ‘Hormones, Health and Human Potential: A guide to understanding your hormones to optimise your health and performance’. Dr Nicky Keay studied medicine at Cambridge University, with clinical attachments including sports medicine clinics in Australia and University of Geneva. After gaining membership of the Royal College of Physicians, she gained extensive clinical and research experience in endocrinology and sport/dance and exercise medicine involving elite athletes, professional ballet dancers and young aspiring athletes. As a research fellow at St Thomas’ Hospital Nicky was part of the international medical team working to develop a test to detect athletes doping with growth hormone, supported by the International Olympic Committee. Her other research studies have investigated the effects of training and nutrition on the endocrine system, body composition and bone mineral density, and relative energy deficiency in sports (RED-S) in competitive male cyclists. Nicky wrote the British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine (BASEM) educational website Health4Performance on RED-S, is the medical advisor to Scottish Ballet, runs a clinic for dancers and athletes, and is chief medical officer of Forth Edge, providing medical interpretation of blood tests to dancers and athletes. Dr Nicky is also an experienced ballet dancer, choreographer and teacher, and has a background in competitive swimming, gymnastics and tennis, together with recreational cycling and windsurfing. Plus, she’s a qualified Pilates foundation teacher.