Hi all, really struggling with getting what I think is my estrogen levels up. Went from 75mcg patch to 100mcg last Thursday night and by Friday evening I felt "normal" (and in actual fact better than normal).
On Monday I did a really tough workout of lifting and Burpees (I do CrossFit) and by Tuesday evening I was starting to not feel great again, by Wednesday afternoon and evening I had had a complete meltdown and was feeling even worse than I was before I started the 100mcg 😔 Feeling a bit better now but still nowhere near happy or good.
Is there any view about whether extreme exercise can affect hormone levels??
I had a look at some of the info on the web and it's far from straightforward as with anything hormonal!
Here is a systematic reveiw which concludes: "
Although the effect is relatively modest, physical activity induces a decrease in circulating sex hormones and this effect is not entirely explained by weight loss. The findings emphasize the benefits of physical activity for women."
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4635995/(I don't agree with this conclusion - at least not the beneficial effect of exercise because it decreases sex hormones - this was written from the point of view of cancer as it was published in a journal of breast cancer research.
I also looked at some studies of the effect of extreme exercise on testosterone levels and this seems to depend on the nature of the exercise as well as diet and also what is eaten immediately post-workout. Some studies suggest an increase in androgens and others a decrease. One study I looked at showed an increase immediately following exercise but levels then reduced. In another study levels were reduced unless protein/carb rich food was eaten immediately post work-out. I haven't got these refs to hand as I googled them on my phone a few days ago.
If you want to read more about this - it is the actual scientific papers that will give you the most accurate information - not all the blogs and websites written by some random person, where there tends to be generalisations like X causes Y when it's not that simple!
It also depends where you are in menopause as to what your own levels are in the absence of HRT - so if you are getting closer to menopause your endogenous levels may be reducing? Also in the two years following menopause there is a pretty dramatic overall decline.
As probably said it's not just sex hormones that affect our muscles and stamina - our overall diet, and especially thyroid funtion so if you haven't had general blood tests then it's a good idea to go to the doc and explain how you are feeling.
If you are under 50 and not yet at menopause you might be better off taking one of the gentler BCP types like QLAIRA or ZOELY to suppress your cycle and prevent the fluctuations you may be experiencing due to your own cycle, although these won't replace testosterone.
Hurdity x
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Topic: Extreme exercise and hormone levels (Read 2071 times)