WHEN EXERCISE CAN EFFECT FERTILITY
HOW EXERCISE CAN EFFECT YOUR FERTILITY I cant tell you how many times I have to educate my clients on what is healthy exercise and what is unhealthy, or to put it more simply, are you nourishing yourself or punishing yourself? This question is really important especially when it comes to trying to conceive. I’m not denying that exercise has its benefits, but we have to reconsider how much you should really be doing when trying to conceive. The problem arises for some women when there is an energy deficit—when you are burning more calories than you consume. But developing an energy deficit is much easier than many women realize. Exercise related menstrual disturbances are common in women who exercise, with some studies estimating that up to 60 percent of exercising women experience some form of menstrual disturbance.
One study that compared the cycles of exercising and non-exercising women found that among exercising women, 25 percent of cycles were anovulatory (No ovulation) and 25 percent of cycles had short luteal phases. Only 48 percent of exercising women’s cycles were normal! DOES THIS MEAN I HAVE TO STOP EXERCISING? No not at all, exercise isn’t a bad thing at all and we encourage it, but not to the point where it can have an effect on other physiological functions such a reproductive organs and fertility.
When you work with a Qualified Practitioner we can help you fix the energy deficit, and create an appropriate training program, which will put you back on the fast track to regaining your Fertility and having regular cycles.
1. De Souza MJ, Toombs RJ, Scheid JL, O’Donnell E, West SL, Williams NI. High prevalence of subtle and severe menstrual disturbances in exercising women: confirmation using daily hormone measures. Hum Reprod. 2010;25(2):491–503.
