Hormones?

Last weekend I had a tough time keeping up with my group, and felt physically lousy. I got some tips about how to improve which I'm trying but I was still thinking of dropping to a slower group. Well today I rode with my same group & felt great ...perfect weather and an easier warm up helped. But in retrospect I realized I was "PMS-ing" the week before my lousy ride, which included eating poorly... Does anyone out there (esp in the 45 + age group) notice monthly changes in performance related to there cycle (menstrual that is!)?? I never even had any PMS symptoms til I passed 40!

yes, ,I'm 43 and my periods have gotten a lot worse. This is the stuff they dont' tell you about "peri-menopause". I have a lot less energy, worse cramps, much heavier/shorter flow.

Irulan

I just ordered aa book Could it be Perimenopause? at Amazon! You must have been reading my mind! SO ... How do you deal with the perimenoupausal symtoms and riding?

I just be aware that I have less "pushing" energy so I ride mellower. Worse for me is that I have a lot of totally unexpected heavy breakthrough bleeding, I have to make sure I never leave the house without supplies.

As for the other PMS type symptoms... general crankiness etc I'm much more aware than I used to be and take ownership for letting my family or whoever know that I need to be left alone.

Irulan

every single month!
Though I actually have a problem the week *of*, not the week before. All of my energy is sapped. :-(

Additionally, I find that contrary to popular advise, exercising during makes my cramps worse and makes me feel worse.
So I just use it as my excuse to go easy for a week and I stick with lighter exercise.

Good to see I am not one of the few with these post-40 periods from he--. As hard as it is to get on my bike during that week, I actually get relief from cycling when I have cramps. I actually am on prescription pain meds for cramps...so I find cycling ot be a relief. I think the blood flow and muscle movement actually helps remove the tension from the pelvic area. When I get off my bike (or spinner fro that matter), they come back!

Try and ride thru, if you can...

I do find my energy zaps right after my period...for a few days, maybe it's iron and red blood cells rebuilding!

Everybody varies on this stuff but we all get some sort of symptoms...

For cramps--one of my clients tried an over the counter muscle spray on her cramps one night and it worked! My PT clients are encouraged to have "Stoppain" around in case they wake up sore the day after we work out...apparently the stuff works on cramps. It's at Walgreen's and it's about $8.00. The good thing about this product is that you spray it, wait about 5-8 minutes and the smell is gone with no smeary or oily stuff left on the skin and doesn't hurt clothes.

Calcium--there is a new calcium product that a rep was handing out at my local bike shop called Sportslegs (www.sportslegs.com).
I take it the day before and morning of a ride. Seems as if it helps me with the leg-lag thing. I like it.

Drinking--yeah, yeah, I know a little wine helps thin the blood and I've been known to take a jigger to feel "normal" during my period, BUT, drinking the night before a ride really messes with your liver balance. The liver stores the glycogen and helps with the sugars so that when you wake up, you can move your muscles without cramping. So, if you drink, the liver is dealing with more than it's usual stuff, plus the period. I find it makes a difference to not have any wine and rely on asprin, rest, plans for the ride.

As far as age goes, oh heck, we're all gonna' dry up someday!
And I never had problems, PSM, cramps until my late 40's either.
In fact, I never had ANY of that stuff until just recently...it sucks.
Terry

OH, BOY, have I been noticing hormonal changes in the last year or so. YOWZA! It happened as soon as I turned 40. The stuff that affects my physical activities these days seems to be EXTREME fatigue that I get the week before and first day or so of my period. I never felt this zapped of energy in the past. What my doctor has told me in the past was that as we age, our body gets in a little panic to use up all the eggs, so sometimes we release two. (This is why the chance of twins increases for women in their early 40s.) This increases the amount of progesterone (from TWO corpus luteum cysts instead of one) and increases the PMS. I'm still finding exercise to be helpful with cramps, but I do have to slack off due to fatigue.

Interesting reading. I'm just a youngster ( only 28) so I've got quite a while to go but doesn't sound like something to look forward to. The things we women have to go through...

Anyway, just recently I've noticed that the day before I'm due on, my riding seems to be stronger and more gutsy. I've done a couple of rides that have really suprised me - being longer and harder than normal. I'm not normally a very aggressive person but maybe the PMT gives me some extra 'grrrrrrr'!

This *is* interesting reading. I'm in the younger set in this thread (I'm 27) and I feel worst the week before my period starts. No energy, draggy feeling, I need more sleep, any exercise is a real chore--though I do feel a little better after I exercise, if I can force myself to do it. Definitely "less pushing", as Irulan said, only in my case I often feel like I can barely push at all. Just a sad little 13mph spin or so, and usually a short ride. I feel hugely better the day after my period starts. Then I'm strong, raring to go, all's well with the world. 20mph? Great! Let's go!

I do wonder what all's going to happen when I hit 40, when things are this bad for me at 27.

Terry -- I looked for that website but got an error -- are they still around?

Gosh, haven't looked lately. I'm going to my local bike shop before the weekend and I'll find out where the rep is located.
I really liked the stuff and want to get more myself. I'll let you know.
Terry

try www.sportlegs.com

I went to my local bike shop today and bought a bottle of Sportslegs...I was living off the samples the rep gave me.
Anywhoo, they come 90 to a bottle and are they EXPENSIVE!!!

$36.00!!! (The ower gives me discount as a trainer; busniess expense)

The shop owner did say that competitors are eating the stuff up, and, all who try it says it works...I agree. The display did have the little sample packets for sale, but I couldn't tell you the cost.
Terry

Terry- We'll work on getting the price down. But for the next 2 weeks, how about FREE?

Women racers seem way more willing to share their performance secrets than men. We sincerely thank NORBA Pro mountain bike champions like Gale Dahlager (winner of the Durango Iron Horse Classic last month) and Missy Giove (2-time World Champion) for freely sharing their discovery of SportLegs with their teammates and fellow competitors this summer. Guess they feel if everybody enjoys riding more, maybe they'll ride more often. And maybe more women will join them on their rides, and at the races.

So in their spirit of sharing, we'll share a half-dozen single-dose samples of SportLegs ($12 retail value) with any curious Team Estrogen participant who sends a name and mailing address to us at info@sportlegs.com by July 15th, 2003. We'll even pay First Class postage, and we promise not to e-mail, call or otherwise bug you. It's just that we recognize it's a little hard to believe that special forms of healthy calcium and magnesium can help your body reduce the "burn" and help turn it into extra natural energy, until you try it yourself. Big-hearted people like Gale and Missy think people deserve to find out about SportLegs. Here's your chance.

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NOTE FROM FORUM ADMINISTRATOR: SportLegs has been notified that commercial posts are inappropriate in this forum. We're leaving this post in-place for those of you who may be interested in this product -- however, Team Estrogen currently has no experience with this product and therefore the presence of this post on this forum should not be construed as an endorsement.