WOMEN’S HEALTH & RUNNING - BLOG
As a female runner and Nurse, I have a particular interest in how running can affect women’s health and the difficulties women may have accessing running due to health.
Unfortunately, the first major hurdle for women accessing running begins during puberty. For girls, puberty can cause an increase in weight, the beginning of periods and emotional changes due to an increase in hormones. According to the Women’s Sport Foundation, by age 14, many girls are dropping out of sports at two times the rate of boys.
After the joys of puberty, women still have the menstrual cycle to think about… or not as the case may be for some. Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) is a physical and mental condition that effects both men and women but predominantly women. A study by Peklaj et al found that (87%) of the athletes demonstrated at least one health-related symptom described by the RED-S-model; only 9% female and 18% male did not have any symptoms of RED-S. It has many different symptoms and generally stems from wanting to be and perform the best. It is wrongly thought that the only way to be a better runner is run further and weigh less and this can be enforced by coaches and fellow runners. This leads to an energy imbalance which can lead to a wide range of symptoms.
RED-S impairs many of the body’s systems and has short- and long-term implications. Due to a calorie deficit the immune system is impacted, and people are more susceptible to colds and flu and concentration level drops. In some cases, periods can stop (amenorrhea). As oestrogen drops bone density decreases and can even cause osteopenia or osteoporosis. This can also lead to stress fractures and other injuries.
So, what can we do to prevent Red-S? A simple thing anyone who menstruates can do is to track their period. This will highlight if there is a change in your cycle and flag them before it has an impact on your health.
If you notice a change in your period or have any of the symptoms mentioned in this blog that are linked to over training, it’s advised you speak to your GP. During the consultation, depending on your symptoms, your GP may do blood tests, check your clinical observations including hight and weight or refer you to other services.
If anyone is concerned about overtraining, you can discuss this with one of the clubs trained Coaches who will be able to offer support and advice on the best way to get the most out of your training without overdoing it.
Penny Lowles