My college coach told me that most elite women lose their periods when they train hard in college, and that's how we know we are training like a DI program. But everything I read online and have learned in school has said this is very risky. I know many of my teammates have lost their periods as well and I'm pretty sure he is telling them the same thing. I mean, we are running well right now so I guess it's working, but should I still say something? Have any of you experienced this with your college coach telling you its a good thing? How did you handle this?
Is your coach also a gynecologist?
That's a stupid response. Ask a neurologist if a person should play football and they will say no, it's bad for you. Ask a gynecologist if a woman should lose her period and they will say no, it's bad for you, but that's not the question, we all know it's bad for you.
Infield posted yesterday some nonsense on her IG about weight, as if she's the gold standard. She hasn't won anything of substance in her life and telling people you don't have to worry about weight to be fast is laughable. In virtually every sport people have to do things to their bodies that it wasn't designed to do and they have to do it to the point of failure at times to be the best. Whether it's tennis elbow, or whatever happens to baseball pitcher's arms after years of pitching, or ACL and Achilles tears, athletes have to make decisions on what they are willing to risk to be better.
All this crap about losing your period being dangerous, but the 80, 100, 120 MPW that is causing that to happen is perfectly normal and not dangerous at all to the rest of your body. It's only the lost period that is the focus. GMAFB!
My college coach told me that most elite women lose their periods when they train hard in college, and that's how we know we are training like a DI program. But everything I read online and have learned in school has said this is very risky. I know many of my teammates have lost their periods as well and I'm pretty sure he is telling them the same thing. I mean, we are running well right now so I guess it's working, but should I still say something? Have any of you experienced this with your college coach telling you its a good thing? How did you handle this?
This is terrible advice, and you should see a doctor. I ran 80-90 miles per week for several years and never missed a period.
It's the way it's stated. You know you're a D1 athlete when you lose your period? That's just a terrible way to say things. Yes it happens to some women and they should be careful and see if they can correct it. But to say you have to lose your period or you aren't training hard enough is just bad form.
My college coach told me that most elite women lose their periods when they train hard in college, and that's how we know we are training like a DI program. But everything I read online and have learned in school has said this is very risky. I know many of my teammates have lost their periods as well and I'm pretty sure he is telling them the same thing. I mean, we are running well right now so I guess it's working, but should I still say something? Have any of you experienced this with your college coach telling you its a good thing? How did you handle this?
This is terrible advice, and you should see a doctor. I ran 80-90 miles per week for several years and never missed a period.
Show us your Olympic medals from that amazing effort.
It's the way it's stated. You know you're a D1 athlete when you lose your period? That's just a terrible way to say things. Yes it happens to some women and they should be careful and see if they can correct it. But to say you have to lose your period or you aren't training hard enough is just bad form.
Yeah, definitely not the best way of stating it, and the coach is probably a douche, but as you already know, many women lose their periods and virtually all of them at the top lose them.
Women who have had children and come back to distance running, often do well because they are no longer worried about losing their periods through training. They have the kid, now they go 100% to achieve their goals without limitations. Yes, controversial, but also true.
It's the way it's stated. You know you're a D1 athlete when you lose your period? That's just a terrible way to say things. Yes it happens to some women and they should be careful and see if they can correct it. But to say you have to lose your period or you aren't training hard enough is just bad form.
Yeah, definitely not the best way of stating it, and the coach is probably a douche, but as you already know, many women lose their periods and virtually all of them at the top lose them.
Women who have had children and come back to distance running, often do well because they are no longer worried about losing their periods through training. They have the kid, now they go 100% to achieve their goals without limitations. Yes, controversial, but also true.
First of all, I am a female athlete who has been running for 32 years. By nature I’m typically rather modest but after reading a few recent articles on the subjects that I’m going to discuss I want to give you some background...
I have met many elite female runners in my time in the sport. Of those, only a handful was I close enough to that I was aware of the specifics of things like periods and medical history. Every single one that I knew that did not have a consistent period and did not listen to their body had a short career and peaked either in high school or college. The ones that listened to their bodies had longer, more successful careers (at least one would be familiar to the majority of this message board as a top pro). I would strongly encourage you to transfer to a program with a coach that has your long term health and success in mind.
The fact is the bearing and raising a human child is pretty demanding so evolution will turn off a women's fertility if it doesn't think the time is right.
It will vary women to women, but 'too much' physical activity is one of the things that can turn it off. Others are breastfeeding (already have a small child), not eating enough (there is a famine), etc.
From the mayo clinic web site:
"Don't overdo strenuous exercise. Strenuous, intense exercise of more than five hours a week has been associated with decreased ovulation."
Five hours a week hurts fertility. It is not unexpected that hard D1 distance training (so much more than 5 hours of what they consider 'strenuous' exercise) can shut down some women's cycle all together even if they are eating enough, etc. Their body just decided getting pregnant at that moment in time would not go well.
Turns out there is a grain of truth to running will make a women's uterus fall out.
The fact is the bearing and raising a human child is pretty demanding so evolution will turn off a women's fertility if it doesn't think the time is right.
You make it sound as if "turning off" fertility is the only issue here. It isn't. The problem is that when fertility gets turned off, so do a bunch of other important things, such as building and preserving bone mass. Losing one's period is often the only visible sign of a complex set of developments, few of them good for long term health.
It's the way it's stated. You know you're a D1 athlete when you lose your period? That's just a terrible way to say things. Yes it happens to some women and they should be careful and see if they can correct it. But to say you have to lose your period or you aren't training hard enough is just bad form.
Yeah, definitely not the best way of stating it, and the coach is probably a douche, but as you already know, many women lose their periods and virtually all of them at the top lose them.
Women who have had children and come back to distance running, often do well because they are no longer worried about losing their periods through training. They have the kid, now they go 100% to achieve their goals without limitations. Yes, controversial, but also true.
I think that's the bigger point, the coach is a douche and she should get away from him. But I don't pretend to know what every elite females' cycle is like and I am sure no one in here does, despite them trying to tell everything they do.
My college coach told me that most elite women lose their periods when they train hard in college, and that's how we know we are training like a DI program. But everything I read online and have learned in school has said this is very risky. I know many of my teammates have lost their periods as well and I'm pretty sure he is telling them the same thing. I mean, we are running well right now so I guess it's working, but should I still say something? Have any of you experienced this with your college coach telling you its a good thing? How did you handle this?
I had something similar happen to me in college. We actually had a female assistant that did a good job as a liaison between athlete and head coach. I’d go to her to see how she suggests moving forward. Fortunately for us our head coach seemed to understand the concern and has since had our female assistant discuss how dangerous this is for our future but it’s not the end of the world if you don’t get a regular cycle. Just something worth working on becoming more regular if you’re not instead of freaking out.
Tried this. Our female assistant told me the head coach didnt want her talking about it with us. I mean I guess I understand him not wanting to get dramatic about things like he says we do too often. But this seems like something worth "getting dramatic" about? Thanks for all the good feedback. I think my next step is to go to the athletic trainers/department doctor to get their opinion like other posters have suggested. Will this get him in trouble though? That's not what I want. We just had a very successful conference meet and he can be pretty intense about things, especially since I think he's up for renewal this year? He'll pit the rest of the women against me if he finds out it was me. I know I'm making him sound like a bad guy but he's actually a good coach who I don't want to get fired.
2. Read Lauren Fleshmann's recent boof "Good for a Girl."
3. What school?
Why would anyone read a book by a former runner and human anatomy at which they have no expertise. I’m tired of all these IG women runners posting stories like they’re doctors. You’re. Former mediocre runner…. Clearly trying your best to stay relevant or become so…. Move on.
and yes this coach is a douchnozzle. I know who he is if this thread is telling me anything on which program OP runs for
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