no period..

[ehirsch83]

Has anyone else here had their period stop because of the amount of mileage that you do?
I am assuming that is why I haven't gotten mine(not pregnant as far as I know and I took a test just to make sure). Since race season has ended and I have transitioned into base period, my mileage has gone from around 200 miles a week up to around 300. Is this enough to make this occur? I am assuming this is what is causing it, but at the same time I feel like I am not active enough to cause that to happen.

Any opinions?

[mimitabby]

300 miles A WEEK? that's 40+ miles a day. If you're not eating enough, that's plenty of mileage.

[Eden]

Women generally lose their period when they get too low in essential body fat to produce enough hormones to have it any more. Women usually need 8-10% body fat to function normally. If your milage has caused you to drop a lot of weight it may be the cause. If you haven't dropped your body fat levels recently you might want to explore other causes.

[Dianyla]

Women generally lose their period when they get too low in essential body fat to produce enough hormones to have it any more. Women usually need 8-10% body fat to function normally.

I've always read that about 15% body fat is required to support regular ovulation/menstruation.

[maillotpois]

I didn't get a period for about a year between college and grad school. Over the course of a year I lost 60 pounds and was running regularly. While I was healthy, I wish I'd been more cognizant of the effect of missing periods on bone density, etc. Your body apparently can't absorb calcium without the hormones (estrogen I believe) present in a regular menstrual cycle.

so... You may be perfectly healthy amenorrhaeic, but see your doctor to be sure they don't want you supplementing with some hormone to make up for the loss.

Interesting that your base training is 100 miles per week higher than your race period (so to speak).

[Wahine]

I've always read that about 15% body fat is required to support regular ovulation/menstruation.

Medically speaking, below 15% body fat you start to worry about someone, but they still could be quite healthy. Below 9% is very dangerous. That's where the 2 different figures come into play.

And yes, the effects on bone density are serious so you need to figure it out.

As for base mileage versus race mileage, in the base period your volume goes up but the intensity is lower. During the race period, intensity is up so you need more rests between intense efforts and therefore the overall mileage drops. During my base period I will train around 20 hours a week. During my racing period it's more like 12.

[ehirsch83]

I didn't get a period for about a year between college and grad school. Over the course of a year I lost 60 pounds and was running regularly. While I was healthy, I wish I'd been more cognizant of the effect of missing periods on bone density, etc. Your body apparently can't absorb calcium without the hormones (estrogen I believe) present in a regular menstrual cycle.

so... You may be perfectly healthy amenorrhaeic, but see your doctor to be sure they don't want you supplementing with some hormone to make up for the loss.

Interesting that your base training is 100 miles per week higher than your race period (so to speak).

I need to start taking calcium!! Thanks for bringing that up. I had thyroid cancer a few years ago and had a total thyroidectamy. So along with no thyroid, some of my parathyroid glands were destroyed. So that plus this added up means I really need to see a dr. and see about supplementing.

During race season I focused more on 2 hour rides, since crits here are 45 min +3 laps. Now that race season is over, I have switched to slower longer endurance rides and am not working on power like I was.

[indysteel]

I would definitely recommend seeing a doctor. Taking a supplement won't do any good if your body--because of low estrogen levels--can't absorb it.

For the first time in my adult life, I missed my period this month. And believe me, I'm not pregnant! I'm hoping it's a fluke, but I lost 5 pounds during my bike trip to Tennessee. While my weight in still in the "low normal" range for my height, I have to wonder if the weight loss is to blame. I've been eating to beat the band since getting back a month ago, but to no avail. Now that my braces are on (as of yesterday), I'm a little concerned that I will lose even more weight given that eating is a bit of an ordeal.

[maillotpois]

Ditto on the seeing a doctor and not just relying on the supplement - she's right - your body simply won't absorb it without the hormones.

And duh on the race/base - I was a bit distracted yesterday.

[velogirl]

but still, 20 hours a week? are you a pro? I've got CAT1 and CAT2 male clients who don't train 20 hours a week. that's an awful lot of saddle time.

[Eden]

I've always read that about 15% body fat is required to support regular ovulation/menstruation.

Just about every place I've looked says something different. One site even proposed that normal menstruation would stop if a woman were to fall under 22%, which I think is probably not the case for most women. Given the differences in various people I would say how much fat you need to function is likely pretty variable too.

In any case just some rapid weight loss, even if its not down to below your lower limits can temporarily interrupt your cycle as can stress.

[Eden]

but still, 20 hours a week? are you a pro? I've got CAT1 and CAT2 male clients who don't train 20 hours a week. that's an awful lot of saddle time.

I'll agree, that is a lot of time. It can be hard, because I like long rides, but my coach gives me few of them. Because our races are generally shorter, its felt its best to train to those distances. This year I'll be doing some longer training rides, as now in the 3's the race distances will be averaging 50-60 miles rather than 25-35 for the 4's, but still I'm certainly not putting in 20 hour weeks, especially not now. I've got about 8 hours/week, with some of that being core work right now, it will climb some as race season approaches, but not up 20 hours.

[Wahine]

but still, 20 hours a week? are you a pro? I've got CAT1 and CAT2 male clients who don't train 20 hours a week. that's an awful lot of saddle time.

That was me that said I train 20 hours a week in my base period. What I should have added was that that's my Ironman training schedule and includes all three disciplines. Sorry for creating any confusion.

[velogirl]

you triathletes are crazy! oh yeah, I'll be focusing on triathlon next season. did I really admit to that? right now I'm just running and riding and lifting and it's definitely sucking the hours out of me. I have no idea how I'll fit swimming in there come December.

oooppps! didn't mean to drift.

[Wahine]

Well, to bring us back on topic, even at 20 hours a week I still have my cycle like clockwork. So I really think you need to be conerned about body fat % and if you're still in the safe range.