Ladies - how's your energy and strength leading up to and around TOM

Sued0nim
Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Do you find it is affected by your hormones?

I am regularly finding that I'm weaker / less energetic the week leading up to and the first couple of days of my period and despite trying to amend my diet to address this I'm having no luck

got a session with a PT tonight and am just feeling drained .. *sighs*

Replies

  • kristinegift
    kristinegift Posts: 2,406 Member
    I definitely have less energy leading up to my period. I'm on seasonal birth control, so it's usually a 2 week decline, but then after 1-2 days of period, I'm feeling good again. I've found I can lessen the effect by eating a lot more protein, especially red meat (yay cheeseburgers!), and being more strict about hydration (which is something that falls by the wayside when all I'm doing in hanging around in bed watching Netflix in the evening).
  • Willbenchforcupcakes
    Willbenchforcupcakes Posts: 4,955 Member
    I find my strength and endurance increase, as does my pain tolerance - I'm more likely to dig in and gut out a pr.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    I always feel super weak the week of my period. I usually try to schedule deloading around that time.
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,059 Member
    When I had it regularly (I've been on Depo for over two years, and have a "cycle"; a very short one; every three months), I didn't see an energy decline. I mostly had unbearable cramps, so getting up to walk/work out made everything more bearable. That was really the only issue I had with it! Just had to find the motivation to uncurl myself from the fetal position, haha.
  • whereslisa
    whereslisa Posts: 38 Member
    Yep, the week before I can't even make it through the day without taking a nap. I get super hungry, very tired, and very moody. I started Friday and yesterday I totally binged. But the week before I was sleeping like all day long and didn't even do any cardio which is a big deal since I do it 4-5 times a week religiously.

  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Definitely feel more fatigued just before and at the start of my period. Definitely.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    edited April 2015
    I have a couple of days at the start of it where I'm pretty wiped out and want to sleep sleep sleep. I'm guessing it's because I spend a lot of my energy those days hating everything and being annoyed with everybody (saxophone music, Splenda, people who don't understand 4 way stops, etc.) Takes a lot out of me :) I'm noticing a pattern of being really weak those days too, lifting-wise.
  • wolfsbayne
    wolfsbayne Posts: 3,116 Member
    edited April 2015
    Iron_Miss_Canada wrote: »
    I find my strength and endurance increase, as does my pain tolerance - I'm more likely to dig in and gut out a pr.

    me too, but not the week leading up. The week during, my lifts feel easier.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
    Definitely feel more fatigued just before and at the start of my period. Definitely.

    Same here
  • Mrsallen6_11
    Mrsallen6_11 Posts: 416 Member
    I don't really feel very weak but I do feel I have no energy or motivation to workout, mainly just the week of my TOM. I just sort of push through it and after about the first 5 minutes of my workout I'm over it, until I finish.
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
    Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
    Definitely feel more fatigued just before and at the start of my period. Definitely.

    Yep, this.
  • futuremanda
    futuremanda Posts: 816 Member
    Usually pretty low energy, tired, fatigued. I also sleep really poorly leading up to my period, which doesn't help. If anything, I look to exercise to maybe boost me up a bit and "treat" the symptoms, rather than looking to perform my best.

    Sometimes I do surprise myself once I get into the workout though!
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    edited April 2015
    futuremanda wrote: »
    Usually pretty low energy, tired, fatigued. I also sleep really poorly leading up to my period, which doesn't help. If anything, I look to exercise to maybe boost me up a bit and "treat" the symptoms, rather than looking to perform my best.

    Sometimes I do surprise myself once I get into the workout though!
    Yep, sleep in the days preceding my period is/was terrible. And the number of days of terrible sleep increased as I aged.
    But yes, if I can drag my *kitten* out for a run or to the gym or Pilates I feel better.
  • emily9423
    emily9423 Posts: 42 Member
    I don't usually feel like I lose energy but I definitely gain an appetite for junk food and find it much harder to stick with healthy eating during that time.
  • Katiebear_81
    Katiebear_81 Posts: 719 Member
    I'm more tired and less motivated. More irritable and less able to sleep. I still work out, although I'll often skip cardio days or go for a walk instead of a run. I don't miss my lifting sessions, but I do feel like the session is harder.
  • kandeye
    kandeye Posts: 216 Member
    Yes weaker and more fatigued. Also super hungry for anything fatty lol
  • _nice_
    _nice_ Posts: 55 Member
    No energy at all for at least 4 days. My water retention translates to BLUE joint pain. I am no good at anything for 4 days. It's okay to rest. Those hormones serve a purpose. I don't need an injury!
  • marmaladepixie
    marmaladepixie Posts: 83 Member
    i feel like my workouts are much much harder starting the week before my period, then as soon as I get it I am back to normal. I will get out out breath really fast doing the same workouts I killed 2 weeks earlier, and my legs feel like they weigh a million pounds. I save the really hard workouts for the first two weeks of my cycle... that's when i seem to get the most out of them
  • never2bstopped
    never2bstopped Posts: 438 Member
    Iron_Miss_Canada wrote: »
    I find my strength and endurance increase, as does my pain tolerance - I'm more likely to dig in and gut out a pr.

    This is me, I also find myself deep cleaning my home at this time. It's like I have never ending energy and focus.
  • Sweet_Heresy
    Sweet_Heresy Posts: 411 Member

    Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
    Definitely feel more fatigued just before and at the start of my period. Definitely.

    Yeah. I tried working out a couple days before...had to knock 20lbs off my squat (and I STILL struggled), and felt so weak the rest of my lifts I was starting to wonder wtf is wrong with me.

    My energy levels are fine enough. I'm still pumped to work out...my strength just gets drained and its so frustrating.
  • mkakids
    mkakids Posts: 1,913 Member
    I'm wiped out the first 3 days of my period, and the 2day's before, day of, and 2 day's after I ovulate.

    I also gain about 5 lbs water weight those 5 days around ovulation.
  • s2Mango
    s2Mango Posts: 44 Member
    I'm definitely much more fatigued. I'll be due here in a few days and all I want to do is sleep and eat garlic or salt. I'd kill for some garlic bread sticks right now, but that's ruin my calories so much, haha.
  • dubird
    dubird Posts: 1,849 Member
    Pretty much non-exenstant. Then again, I tend to cramp hard enough that all I want to do is curl up with the heating pad on high for a couple of days, so I'm already down anyways.
  • MamaRiss
    MamaRiss Posts: 481 Member
    I just lack motivation. It's hard for me to get going, but once I do get going, my energy picks up, and I get a lot done. And I want to eat everything in sight, doesn't matter what it is. Surprisngly though, I don't usually gain anything.

    What has been killing me though, is since I had my tubes tied, my cycle went from 28 days to about 25, and I now spot for up to 10 days before my actual period starts. so I can have up to 15 days with that lack of motivation and desire to eat everything
  • VegasFit
    VegasFit Posts: 1,232 Member
    Besides craving sweets more than usual I don't notice any difference and my routine doesn't change at all.

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