Women who Train and Race: Special Considerations

When coaching anyone it's key to treat that person as an individual and craft a training plan around their individual strengths and weaknesses. That being said there are certain general principles which coaches invariably use to help get them started with a new client which we then tweak and adapt as we get to know you better and see how you respond.

Some of those general principles however are women specific and some male specific so here are some things it's worth considering as a women embarking on an ultra endurance event.

Your Menstrual Cycle

Depending on whether you are using some kind of contraceptive and the type of contraceptive you are using, you can feel very different at different stages of the cycle. 

It can be worth adapting your training so that you can lean into the strengths and weaknesses you experience at different points in your cycle.

The high hormone phase (the last 5-10 days of your cycle where day 1 is the day you get your period).

Endurance workouts can often be a good focus during this phase. You can often feel bloated due to more water retention and fatigued which makes high intensity harder.

You may find you need to fuel more with protein and fats as your body is more inclined to use fat as its energy source and protein breakdown increases.

The low hormone phase (the first 5-10 days of your cycle where day 1 is the day you get your period)

This is a time when High intensity can often be best performed. You feel lighter and can create more power both in the gym and outdoors running and/or cycling.

At this time your body is more primed to use carbohydrates as fuel and more able to work at a higher intensity as a result. You can fuel as normal with carbohydrates.

Pre-Menstrual Syndrome

The days around our period can be a bit miserable with symptoms that range of mood disturbances to significant pain and feeling generally unwell (it can be a good time for a migraine if you are a sufferer). 

Gentle exercise can help during this time, but in general if you feel ill at this time this can be a great time to plan to de-load so you can rest up and nurse yourself back to normality and train again when you are fit and well.

Having some strategies to help should your main event fall around this time can be a good idea. Be aware that NSAIDs like ibuprofen, often suggested for period pains can have unpleasant side effects if you are working your body hard.

Menopause

The transition from fertile to infertile can come with a host of unpleasant symptoms that can have significant affects on your ability to train and perform.

Current findings show that loss of muscle strength is frequent for women as they are perimenopausal but that continuing a sensible exercise programme where the emphasis shifts slightly to strength worth with some endurance and anaerobic work in the mix seems to work well and offset the strength.

During this phase it would be worth swapping out one of your hard workouts for an extra strength session where you are lifting heavy weights to encourage the body to lay down extra bone tissue can also offset osteoporosis. This is well worth continuing post-menopause.

Endurance exercise and performance can be well maintained throughout this period and into post-menopause (when you have 12 months with no period). Working to heart rate when other metrics may be changing can be a good strategy; test regularly to make sure your zones are up to day (once every 3 months). 

Diet may need to change significantly as you become perimenopausal, in particular eating more protein (20-25g with each meal). Maintaining endurance and a small amount of anaerobic exercise will also help manage weight gain.

Vitamin D (linked to oestrogen) can be found lacking in women during this time of their life so it's worth keeping track of levels with blood work and taking supplements as directed by your health care practitioner.

Omega 3 oils found in ground flaxseed, nuts, and oily fish can also be helpful in managing mood and staying healthy.

Hormone Replacement

Women work well off oestrogen - oestrogen replacement as we age can therefore be very helpful in offsetting symptoms associated with being peri-menopausal, should you choose to go down that route.

If you like this article and have any questions about this or any other aspect of training why not e-mail me? I would love to know your views and help if I can; I answer all e-mails within 5 working days.