Women runners have a problem men don’t.
Women have more and stronger hormone changes and that can affect how well you run and how hard you train.
Estrogen is a hormone that is highly important to women.
It helps women’s strength and is a key factor in endurance.
Progesterone makes the need for oxygen greater because it stimulates breathing.
This can make you feel more winded.
Consequently, women who are in the estrogen phase of their menstrual cycle are going to be able to run longer and train harder than those in the progesterone phase.
Likewise, a woman with higher estrogen is going to be able to compete a little better with others than those in the progesterone cycle.
These aren’t the only two hormones that play a role in your training or running.
There are many others like cortisol, endorphin and epinephrine that all contribute.
However, these hormones aren’t unique to women as men have them too.
Signs of Hormonal Imbalance
Every woman should know when her hormones are off kilter.
Some of the symptoms are irritability, fatigue, headaches, brain fog, food cravings, stomach cramps and,
naturally, mood swings.
You can control your imbalances for you to complete your run or to train better. Specifically, two things will help your hormones stay under control.
Reduce Coffee
Women love coffee because some have a hard time waking up after a fretful night with kids or staying up working on a project.
However, caffeine is associated with PMS so it would be a good thing to reduce it.
You don’t have to give it up completely. Just reduce your coffee indulges to one morning cup.
Change Your Training Time
There are women who love to run first thing in the morning but that may not be good for your hormone levels.
Mornings are when cortisol levels are at their peak and running during that time can lead to a hormone imbalance.
Experts say switching your run to the afternoon or evening may be a good move.
Running is good for hormones as it stimulates endorphins and helps you breathe deeper and longer.
It doesn’t have to be an either-or scenario to get your hormones under control.
Running and a healthy diet can do wonders to your hormone levels and overall health.
