How do you periods affect your rides?

[Jiffer]

I know I've read a thread somewhere before about how periods affect your rides ... but can't find it. For me, my periods never used to affect my rides that much. If anything, maybe the second day, when my flow is heaviest and I just don't feel so great. But I am finding that sometimes I do feel more fatigued on a ride some months than others.

I did a tempo ride yesterday. I finished the first tempo portion okay, but felt really bad at the end and right after. I decided not to do anymore and just rode slowly home. That was my 3rd day on my period. Tonight I did a club ride, which is pretty fast paced. Again, I did okay getting up to the regroup at the top of the climb ... but fell off the group quite easily on the way back and took the fast route home instead of finishing the usual route. I recall that same thing happening before when on my period ... but not always.

So, I guess I'm finding that when my period is affecting me, I can ride pretty well for a while, maybe 30 minutes or so ... then I kind of fall apart. Yet, this does not "always" happen. Sometimes I can ride strong for a long time when I'm on my period. Maybe now that I'm 41 and maybe pre-menopausal ??? this could be affecting me? My symptoms before and during my periods seem to vary a lot more in the last few years than they used to. I get night sweats, but not every month or sometimes not as bad some months than others. So I guess it's the same with how I feel when I ride. Some months will affect me more than others. That sucks!

How do your periods affect you and is there anything you have found that helps? I'm wondering if eating certain kinds of foods would help ... probably all the healthy ones! Haha! I also wonder if I'm getting lower on iron some months than others. I did get full blown anemia last August after having lost some weight during the previous 6 months. I was riding better than ever, my period hit and boom ... my riding sucked! It took a long time to get over it and get back into training. (A coach had told me to eat red meat! He was way more into natural foods than supplements. And told me it's fairly common for women losing weight and training a lot to get anemia.) So maybe I'm more susceptible to low iron levels, especially at that time of the month, and should be taking iron during my cycle ... so I can cycle! Haha! I crack me up. After I got anemia and my training basically came to a halt, I also started letting myself eat more and my weight slowly came back. So now I'm back in weight loss mode ... though I feel I've had plenty of foods with iron, including red meat and eggs ... but maybe I need to up my iron even during my period.

Luckily I seemed to have avoided cramps in my life. I feel for you women who deal with that.

Anyways, so while I think I may have figured out my own issue while writing this ... iron ... I'm still curious what your experiences are.

[Aggie_Ama]

I find as I am getting older I am much more fatigued during my period. It is like I am just a slug. During other times I can sustain a higher HR but not during my period. It also seems I dehydrate easier and have a more sensitive stomach so while most of the time nutrition is not as relevant for me it is super relevant during that week or so. I also have a lot of issues with being more prone to chafing, not a fan of chamois butter but have to use it during that time.

[Jiffer]

Interesting. Yesterday at the end of my 20 minute tempo interval, my stomach was really bothering me, and that's not typical for me. Yeah, maybe it's just a "getting old thing". Sucks if an important event falls on the wrong time of the month.

[shootingstar]

I've never really noticed much difference in the past to pin it down to my period. I never felt the best if it was a humid, hot day but I no longer live in such climate. It's just abit more uncomfortable when exerting alot of energy under hot conditions.

Except for getting off the bike more frequently..to check self at washroom. I mean this is probably the one thing about being a woman...when did guys ever have to "check" themselves on regular intervals in their life. Even those of us who aren't affected much in exercise, there's always this annoying ..check.

I don't experience cramping, etc. nor regular, hot flashes, sweating like others may often.

Maybe some relaxation exercises might help or relaxation breathing. For latter, I found myself doing this abit more often if I anticipate a different piece of riding ahead while on bike. Under stress, I now tend to think more mindfully of this, as I get older..for whatever life situation or time of the year.

[Crankin]

My periods stopped about a year or so after I started riding; coinciding with the purchase of my first road bike. I remember feeling just awful in the days before it started and during the first two days. I could barely turn the pedals over and my average speed definitely was lower. I also remember thinking that if I was competing, it would totally suck if I had my period. When I taught fitness classes, i would pray that i didn't have to teach the day before it started or on the first day.
But, I had horrible PMS, my whole life (the physical symptoms), from age 11 on, and I never felt good at the beginning of my period, although I only had bad cramps when I was very young. Menopause was a breeze compared to my period; I was either getting it (10 days), having it (5 days), or trying to avoid thinking about getting during the other 2 weeks of the month.

[emily_in_nc]

I haven't noticed any issues other than occasionally needing to go into a restroom for a tampon change. Annoying, but nothing I can't deal with. No difference in strength, speed, fatigue, etc. Guess I'm lucky that way.

[Aggie_Ama]

It may also be that I am not any different except now I race. I am much more focused on how I feel. When I was more into long road rides and charity rides I didn't notice, but while I wasn't slow I was never really pushing myself super hard since it was an endurance based training. I also am now more an XC mountain biker which is constantly at aerobic/anaerobic threshold. Even just a fun ride is a fairly high intensity but it is the nature of the sport.

[Karma007]

With my Paraguard IUD, I was out for a week. The periods were really heavy, and I was exhausted and miserable. Back on the pill, it's a non-issue.