Should women and men train differently? In this episode, we explore this question based on the comparison of two articles highlighting why, when, and how women should train based on their menstrual cycles.
We discuss:
- Comparing studies measuring the results of modern exercise in men versus women.
- Breaking down the bias of these studies.
- Women training and competing around and during their cycle.
- Understanding our cycles and bodies and how to incorporate that information into our training and nutrition as an aging athlete.
… and more!
Here are some highlights.
Understanding our cycles
”When we are on our period, we are in what's called the follicular phase of our cycle. Estrogen drops during this phase, and our muscles have greater access to energy stores. As a result, we are better primed for high performance.”
Using the education of our bodies to enhance and better utilize training
“When we're in the high hormone phase and the weeks leading up to the period, we don't have as much of an ability to go hard. We have a reduced ability to tap into our stored carbohydrates since those are being reserved for a potential fertilized egg. This is a fancy way of saying the body wants to make a baby, and the period happens when the baby doesn't happen, right, but the body is still preparing for it. That's why we can't tap into those stored carbohydrates. Ultimately, the more we can learn about our cycle and the hormonal fluctuations that come with it, the more nuance we can add to our training.”
Be diligent in your research
“Women deserve education and knowledge around how to train, eat and recover, but for the most part, that's not what we're seeing in the media or in the bulk of fitness and nutrition studies, which are still mostly being done with men. So what can we do to ensure we're not getting caught up in misinformation around these topics? Don't believe everything you see in the media about exercise recommendations for women or for aging women.”
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