Women's Running: Health Q&A

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How does my period affect my running?

‘That time of the month’ is not the time when women run their worst. The hardest time for women to run fast is about a week before menstruation begins (a week after ovulation). That’s when women’s levels of progesterone peak, which can lead to a higher-than-normal breathing rate during exercise. This tends to make running feel more difficult than usual.

If you run so much that your periods become light or nonexistent, you may be endangering your bones. Amenorrhoea (lack of a period) means that little or no oestrogen is circulating in your body. Oestrogen is essential for the replacement of bone minerals. Amenorrhoeic women can stop
– but not reverse – the damage by taking oestrogen and getting plenty of calcium. If your periods are infrequent or nonexistent, consult your doctor.

Picture credit: Jupiter Images/Getty Images

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