Question for women who lift heavy...

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CassieLeigh86
CassieLeigh86 Posts: 68 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
No, I'm not concerned about bulking up haha.

In January 2012, I started NROL4W, and loved it. Felt stronger, looked better...and also started having spotting and an irregular cycle, despite being on a birth control pill. I stopped the program after I got busy training for a half marathon.

Fast forward to now. I'm on a new pill (stronger, monocyclic), and was doing great with it...until I started lifting heavy again, about 2-4 weeks ago. I'm back to the spotting.

Am I crazy, or is lifting heavy causing my cycle to go all wonky? I'm 5'6" and 155-160 pounds on any given day, so obviously I'm not underweight...but I'm also not so overweight that my cycle should be off.

Anybody else experienced this??
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Replies

  • bcf7683
    bcf7683 Posts: 1,653 Member
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    I haven't experienced that, but after I started lifting around a year ago I started getting really white splotches on my skin around my neck and chest (think a *very* mild case of Michael Jackson whiteness). Freaked me out a bit so I talked to my doctor, she said that it had to do with my hormones changing from the intense lifting I was doing. It had something to do with a bacteria that lives on everyone's skin becoming "active" and making my skin stop producing melanin in those areas.

    Sounds like it could be a hormone thing with you as well- I would ask you doctor, honestly.
  • CassieLeigh86
    CassieLeigh86 Posts: 68 Member
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    Oh that's weird! That would freak me out a bit too...

    I will definitely talk to my doctor, I'm just so curious to know if anyone else has had this problem! Damn hormones...
  • NJL13500
    NJL13500 Posts: 433 Member
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    This is interesting to me. I connected my starting heavy lifting and weight gain, but I never really connected it to my increased PMS symptoms and possible hormonal changes. I have had spotting and more breast tenderness and swelling lately. I though that I might be entering perimenopause early....

    I made an appointment with my GYN to have myself checked out, but he couldn't see me until June 6th.

    I'm interested to hear responses from others as well. I definitely have the spotting between periods and Intensified PMS symptoms.

    Thanks for posting. I know I haven't been helpful. I'm hoping to have some answers after my doctor appointment, but maybe others have some now.
  • CassieLeigh86
    CassieLeigh86 Posts: 68 Member
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    I tried to Google it, and there is pretty much nothing out there. There are a lot of topics on birth control and weight gain (shocker), and a few on birth control possibly inhibiting muscle growth in women, but I wasn't able to find anything that even mentioned weight lifting changing the effectiveness of birth control.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    Birth control pills can cause spotting.

    I do not think that exercise will change the effectiveness of the pill, but check with your doctor. Spotting is a side effect of excess estrogen, either too much of it, or an imbalance of it if progesterone has dropped causing the estrogen to be too dominant.
  • TracyJo93
    TracyJo93 Posts: 197 Member
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    It happens to be too, even though I'm on Yaz. I asked my doc about it, and he said that it shouldn't be a big deal and that once your body gets used to the lifting then everything will even back out. He said that lots of cardio (like running five or more miles everyday) will do it too.
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
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    Interesting. I find that lifting actually helps to regulate my cycle and makes them shorter and less painful. Along with lifting did you change your eating habits, sleeping habits, amount of cardio?
  • TracyJo93
    TracyJo93 Posts: 197 Member
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    Oh and the pill is still effective. Lol. First thing I asked about.
  • EmilyOfTheSun
    EmilyOfTheSun Posts: 1,548 Member
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    after I started lifting around a year ago I started getting really white splotches on my skin around my neck and chest (think a *very* mild case of Michael Jackson whiteness).
    I almost spit out my lunch. That was hilarious.

    OP.....are you working out a LOT? Like every single day a week for an hour or more? When I first started working out, I was an addict! I completely skipped my period for three months in a row. Then it would come off and on. Skip a month, the get it again, skip two months, get it again, etc.

    Some of my pals on here told me that it's pretty common for women who workout a LOT to skip their periods. I asked my doc about it, she said it's common too.

    I have stopped working out as much (just because personally, I don't think it's necessary to workout for over an hour a day, every day, to achieve my goals), and now my periods have resumed as normal.
  • TracyJo93
    TracyJo93 Posts: 197 Member
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    One more thing lol. I spotted, and then I went 3 months without a period. Took multiple at home tests and they were all negative. That's why I decided to talk to my doctor when I went for my annual check up.
  • keepongoingnmw
    keepongoingnmw Posts: 371 Member
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    I would still see a doctor anyway......
  • bumblebums
    bumblebums Posts: 2,181 Member
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    Ok, I cannot comment on the pill issue, and I have not experienced any hormonal upheavals myself. But I do want to comment on the question of irregular periods and exercise/weight loss. My understanding is that it has more to do with intake than with body weight; even women at a normal body weight can have oligo- and amenorrhea. Sorry, can't find the reference right now.

    And here's a study on the effects of oral contraceptives on female athletes you might want to look at:

    http://jcem.endojournals.org/content/89/9/4364.short
  • NavyKnightAh13
    NavyKnightAh13 Posts: 1,394 Member
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    I would say ask your doctor. The past couple of months mine has been a little messed up but the stress in my life has also been upped a bit so i chalk it up to that.
  • agent770
    agent770 Posts: 1 Member
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    Yes - I had something similar happen to me when I started training again with a personal trainer. I would say my workouts were intensive and moderately heavy. I started to spot mid way through my cycle. I went to the doctor had internal ultrasound and the results were nothing conclusive. The spotting has stopped it last about 4months.
  • CassieLeigh86
    CassieLeigh86 Posts: 68 Member
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    I'm definitely not working out at a level that would be called excessive or too much...half an hour to an hour of cardio and/or strength training 3-4 times a week, usually every other day. They are hard workouts, yes, but nothing insane!

    I've actually ALWAYS had trouble finding pills that work for me...but the last two times I've had to switch, the trouble coincided with an increase in weight training. The last time I switched pills, the doctor actually did an ultrasound and yes, everything was normal. So I am inclined to say that my hormones are just out of whack...not necessarily due to the weight training ONLY, but it does seem to have some kind of an effect.

    Thanks for all the responses ladies! Of course I'll still be talking to the doctor about this, but I appreciate the insight!
  • bumblebums
    bumblebums Posts: 2,181 Member
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    I'm definitely not working out at a level that would be called excessive or too much...half an hour to an hour of cardio and/or strength training 3-4 times a week, usually every other day. They are hard workouts, yes, but nothing insane!

    I've actually ALWAYS had trouble finding pills that work for me...but the last two times I've had to switch, the trouble coincided with an increase in weight training. The last time I switched pills, the doctor actually did an ultrasound and yes, everything was normal. So I am inclined to say that my hormones are just out of whack...not necessarily due to the weight training ONLY, but it does seem to have some kind of an effect.

    Thanks for all the responses ladies! Of course I'll still be talking to the doctor about this, but I appreciate the insight!

    Actually, the thing I really wanted to say was this: there are so many factors that could be at play that it's hard to be sure that your problems arise from the pills or from weight training. You probably also changed your diet recently, right? To pin down the cause, you have to think scientifically. Start systematically taking out one variable at a time, give your body enough time to respond to the change (2 months is probably the minimum for anything involving the menstrual cycle), and then adjust as necessary.
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
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    It is possible that you are under-eating. Heavy workouts need enough food to fuel them. Not enough fuel can cause all sorts of strange issues with hormones. How much do you eat a day?

    EDIT: nvm. I looked at your diary and it seems like enough. Sorry I couldn't help!
  • tmogs
    tmogs Posts: 287 Member
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    SInce I started lifting my period has been acting crazy also. Mine went from every 26 days like clockwork lasting 6 to 7 days (not on the pill) to being 4 days late and only 4 days. I believe I read that the diet might be too low for the exercise your doing.
  • CassieLeigh86
    CassieLeigh86 Posts: 68 Member
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    Yea I think I'm definitely eating enough!

    Interestingly though, both times I STARTED lifting heavy I did up my caloric intake...this time from 1700 to 1900. However, the reason I changed from 1700 to 1900 this time around was because I'm giving the whole TDEE-20% a try, instead of eating close to my BMR and eating back exercise cals....so actually the change probably isn't that drastic in how many calories I'm netting.

    I completely agree that I need to give my body some time to adjust!
  • jamiek917
    jamiek917 Posts: 610 Member
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    and im in the opposite boat! got off the pill in June, didnt get my period until november (happened to me before, the only other time i got off the pill). got my period regularly for 3 months, happened to increase my weight training around that last month- and havent had my period since (which sucks since im trying to get pregnant). :( i never thought to link it to lifting until now... but maybe?

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