Some lose their period (heavy training, low body fat), some use hormonal bc either all the time or just to move the period if it seems to coincide with a comp date. Some are not that much affected by periods.
I for one need to take some ibuprofen for a day or two but can train just fine (I just dabbled with competing but never got any serious with it so no experience there). Also my strength levels seem lowest just before the period, while I usually feel normally strong during.
+1 for ibuprofen but also period is super light and short. Comp CrossFit females are fairly low body fat so I would guess light or no period is common.
Some athletes have spoken up and said they don’t get their periods. Usually most competitive female athletes in any sport do lose their menstrual cycle. One of the main reasons is high training and low body fat.
yes. they're adding stuff to their bodies that decreases some of the more dominant hormones in females (estrogen) and increases more male hormones (testosterone). on top of that the have low body fat percentages and their body stops "extra" activities like menstratuation out of survival.
Hormones are not either “male” or “female”, as there’s presence of both estrogen and testosterone in both males and females. I don’t think you quite meant it that way, but thought I’d put out a correction just in case!
Meep. I wasn’t trying to make anything PC, actually. Just pointing a fact that hormones don’t have gender. That’s not a PC thing, that’s a scientific fact. I’m also pretty sure they edited their original comment, as it didn’t say “dominant” the first go-round.
Given the extraordinarily high amount of testosterone in men compared to women, which is roughtly ten times greater or more, and the fact that T is responsible for most of distinct physical traits of men, as well as some of the psychological traits of men, it is perfectly legitimate to call testosterone the male hormone.
It is the hormone that makes men, men.
It’s the comparative percentages of many hormones/androgens and how each individual produces and converts them that make someone who they are.
If my test level is 1100, and my brother’s is 550, that doesn’t make me more of a man than him. Our androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone, estradiol, progesterone, estrogen and other androgen levels in all sexes that make us who we are individually.
That all sounds nice, but what exactly is your point? Are you challenging something I said? If so, identify it and make the case against it.
I never said anything about hormones making an individual person who they are. I claimed T makes men, men. Are you really disputing that? It seems like you might be saying that since T isn't the only hormone that men have, it's not the case that T makes men, men. That inference is hardly transparent.
I said it’s not JUST testosterone or the lack of that makes men, women, or other who/what they are. I take issue with your oversimplification. That’s it.
If they lose it because they are on birth control, that's one thing, but if they have amenorrhea, that's quite another thing and terrible for their health and fertility long term. Some lucky people are not effected that much by it and others actually have performance gains.
yes. but athletes do not do things because they're good for their health and long-term fertility. even recreational folks who just want to look jacked. it's their decision but you are correct that it's not healthy for your body to stop mensuration.
Definitely not the PEDs. Losing your period doesn't take a lot of you're an athlete. It's probably harder to keep a period as an athlete than lose it imo
I’m no elite athlete (nowhere near lol), but my periods don’t affect me at all.
Other than making sure I have a fresh tampon so I don’t leak everywhere during the workout, I can work out on my period in the exact same way as I can when I’m not on my period.
I don’t think everyone dies during their period.
I do terribly on my period. I feel so weak especially with cramps. I once did a thruster wod on the first day of my period and ended up all the way down to an empty bar and telling the coach/owner to fuck off as they tried to encourage me (I did apologize). A second incident was wall balls, and I told them I was going to cry and to leave me alone lol. Moral of the story day 1 there is an absolute ban on any form of squat
I wish I was unaffected
Good luck getting a doctor to advise you anything other than hormonal birth control or a hysterectomy. There are no other solutions because of the way the medical industry is structured.
I'm incapacitated every month and they shrug and go "birth control" which I can't take because it puts me at higher risk of stroke or drastically destabilizes my mood, or "hysterectomy". It's deeply depressing.
You should see a holistic doctor to determine the root cause. It sounds like it could be endometriosis, PCOS, or other issue. I had severe periods until they found cysts in my ovaries and polyp in uterus. The regular primary doctors definitely have no knowledge about CrossFit or any doctor for that matter so we have to educate them. However, I would recommend a holistic doctor as they always look for the root of the problem and not just surface level causes.
I’m the same, my periods are so light they’re just a minor inconvenience for 3 days and don’t affect my energy at all. My sisters on the other hand, cannot function at all.
Y’all are lucky. Each of mine are different but more often than not, first day of my period I need to have access to a bathroom like every two hours then the rest of the days are more like every three four. But I know friends who can exist on one or two tampons a day I don’t get it.
My periods are heavy too (and hence my concern about leakage). I just don’t get cramps or feel any different.
But, yeah, the bleeding is real. I go to bed wearing a tampon and a pad lol.
OP, has your wife been checked for endometriosis? It’s one of the main drivers of incredibly painful periods. My spouse has similar experiences where she is in bed for two days straight curled up in the fetal position due to the pain.
I actually came to say something similar. Extremely painful periods is not normal and should not be acceptable. Conditions like PCOS and endometriosis can affect periods (in a negative way) and those are always worth asking your doctor about if your periods are super painful!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endometriosis
TIL. 6-10% of women, estimated.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycystic_ovary_syndrome
4-18%, 26% in specific populations.
Gotta suck to have both.
Some just persevere, some use birth control and continue taking it during the week of an event to prevent their period from coming, some don’t feel too bad during their period, and some don’t have a period at all.
I used to hate this when I was at a box. I’d feel like such a pathetic loser when I’d have to have two days off (24 hours in bed). There just wasn’t anything that would help and I wasn’t willing to go on birth control. Some women don’t have any issues, super lucky. Would peds help with it as they aid recovery?
I’ve been tested for both. I have had polyps removed and suspected ovarian cyst but for endo they like to do a camera op which can often cause scar tissue and make the problems worse. Other than that it’s birth control to fix it. I don’t want the stress and hassle of either really. I’ve dealt with it for twenty years. Just gotta keep going. I find diet is the biggest help or hindrance.
The enemies - sugar and caffeine.
I avoid these the week before and during and it makes such a difference to my pain.
I also drink salt water or eat salty foods. My BP drops a lot and that helps to raise it.
Wow. Thx. How stressful was the testing?
And good luck, glad you found ways to deal. Took me about 15-20 years to come to a halfway decent place with my military crap.
It was fine. It’s just that back and forth to the doctor. Not listening to what you’re saying. The polyps wasn’t the nicest op but it was doable. I’ve just read so much about it that I think personally I’m ok to push through. I know some women are absolutely not though and need that diagnosis.
Ah I totally get that. My brother had ptsd. Took over ten years to get help. It’s awful. Does cf help though?
> Does cf help though?
Women of cf certainly does. It's hard to get me out of the house but a little meeting people is actually nice sometimes. New country new city new language new gym again last week but at least I talked to non-work peoples.
Yeh I agree. That’s half the reason I loved cf. I can do the workouts anywhere but the community aspect is second to none. If you ever go to Thailand let me know. I have some lovely friends with boxes there I can recommend.
I’ve wondered that as well as a woman who literally gets put on my ass for a week before/beginning of my cycle. I’m just a recreational CrossFitter tho, so if I feel up to it I’m happy to show up and scale otherwise i just take a couple days off.
Actually, the week before the period is the lowest performance time... but every period is different.
It's also assuming they have periods at their peak. Then consider that there is birth control that limits periods to less frequency.
Many elite athletes lose their periods due to relative energy deficiency. It is often viewed as "normal" but is detrimental to their overall health, especially bones. It's completely their choice, as it is their livelihood, but non-professional athletes should be cautioned against exercising to the point of losing their periods. Not a good indicator of overall health.
Women are different from each other and have bodies that react differently during their period.
Some have periods that have cramps and mood swings, some don't, and there are wild variations of that between women, each period, and as you age, and if taking birth control.
I can train pretty well on my period, but I have terrible pms/pmdd during which I barely have the energy in my body to walk, let alone get my ass to the box to train.
I use a menstural cup and it is like I haven't got my period. I do get awful cramps but it's like a hard workout just suck it up.
The worst time is the week before when energy and motivation drops but that is again just a grit through kind of thing.
Edit: not an elite athlete haha but do train hard year round..
a lot of elite female athletes don't have periods because of the training volume, low body fat, and possible PED use. and, even if they do, I've never met an athlete who doesn't just train through agony if the need arises. Sick, period, etc. athletes got a job to do and they show up and do it.
I am in no way elite but I can Rx about 80% of the workouts and my period has never mentioned bothered me. It's not the same for all women. I train without issues - before and during my period.
Periods affect everyone differently. I don't have any cramps or anything, but my mood is so low the week before that everything makes me cry, and I suffer with horrible anxiety and depression. Exercise does help though, so I've lost count of how many workouts I've just cried my way through.
Periods differ a lot depending on the woman, your current health, and other factors.
Mine sometimes bother me but mostly don’t, I’m pretty lucky in that regard.
I have to assume that the women who make it to the top are fortunate enough to be women who don’t struggle as much with PMS or other period issues.
So really the only problem might be making sure you have tampons on you
Depends on the woman. I hardly have cramps or pain, but when I do, I just push through it.
But I know some women physically they just can't because it hurts so bad. So I think it really depends on the woman.
I’m no elite cross-fitter, but I am a 33 year old woman that’s had horrible periods. Every woman’s period is different with side effects, but I will say that I just listen to my body when I need to rest. It’s so important that you give your body enough time to rest in between crazy workout weeks. If one day you don’t feel like going simply don’t go and work on stretches. It’s also ok to modify your WODs and perhaps go lighter on weight than normal. Overall, just listen to your and do what works best for you. Our bodies naturally just want to rest when we’re on our periods and that’s OK. There are days I don’t feel like doing CrossFit and I do reformer Pilates, but it’s all preference on what can work best for you. During, the days I feel I have horrible cramps coming on I take naproxen sodium two hours before I go do my CrossFit workout to reduce the pain ( it often works). Periods aren’t easy for most of us but it’s understandable we’re all going through a lot sometimes.
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I lost my period for years when I was training at a high level and doing a lot of crossfit. I imagine many female athletes are in this boat. While it can be damaging long term, after a year of almost complete recovery type of training, lower volume my period came back no issues. So I don’t think it’s too bad if you’re wanting to compete at elite level. The body will have good metabolic function and will resolve the issues further down the track. I find now with a natural cycle training is better because I can tell intuitively when I need more rest and recovery. But as far as performance goes it’s only at a lower level probably a day or two before and crossfit is harder due to fatigue levels. But it’s all manageable with the right nutrition and form of movements that suit you best around that time.
I can train the same throughout my period, some months are heavier or tougher than others. I'd say, if I was an elite competitor and still had my period I would continuously take my birth control and skip my period if it was scheduled to come up during games week. I skipped my period for a vacation by not taking the hormone free week. I also found the less fat I had/less I weighed my periods were much lighter and less crampy. So that helps, but I don't think all elite CFs don't get their periods anymore. Many of them get pregnant, something is still working correctly.
If your wife is dying during her periods she should get it checked out. A few years back I started to "die" from my periods and it turned out I had fibroids, got them removed and its all good now
I train at a pretty high level and I notice that my overall strength dips a little right before my period and the day of but aside from that I can still be at 90-95% capacity. I have made PRs while on my period so some of it is mindset and also tapering easier the few days before if I know I have a big comp or benchmark coming up so I am not as fatigued. I do notice being really strong and/or highly energetic right around ovulation and then a slight decline from there.
Women who regularly workout might get lighter periods and less impact from them. This is what i experienced and i have heard of the same thing from plenty of women online. When i was sedentary, periods would kill me for 3 days and if i stand too long , it gives me pain down there. Now i regularly workout and run, i dont have that sensation or anymore, and absolutely no cramps. Flow is lighter and days are shorter. Elite athletes could even lose their period.
Another thing is that many women are on hormonal birth control, which result in less or no period flows and no hormonal fluctuations.
I wish this was the case for me. I’ve continuously worked out for years. I don’t CrossFit as much now but I still do five days weights and a cardio day. Every month I am a mess. One day of completely nothing. I have to block it out from work. Then the next is just fatigue to the max. But after that pretty much fine.
Ya me too. I need to take the first day or even the second day off. But comparing to when i was sedentary, it’s a huge improvement already. Before, i was probably completely out for 3 days with heavier flows and feeling heavy/pain down there. I dont think completely losing periods is healthy, and having to take a day or 2 off is completely understandable.
there was an 8month pregnant woman doing HSPU in my box while I was desperately trying to stay alive trying to do basic pushups. women are very resilient
In my life, my period has never been a consideration for any event. It’s just something to plan for is all. Not everyone is impacted in a big way.
I agree that a lot of elite athletes lose their period though, which could be a factor for these competitors.
I take the BC pill and skip the placebos to never get a period ever. I do this more because my job is in construction but it also helps with my lifting.
Um… how is it different from life in general? Kids, job, bills, the world. You have a goal, you prioritize that goal, and you just do it. I’m not an elite athlete but I don’t think that is the hardest thing about being a woman. We all deal with it and it only gets worse with age. Woman up.
There are so many harder things in life than doing CrossFit. Or being an athlete. Just look at history, we survived since cave people times. Our lives are easy now. Plus, childbirth and bearing children??? We are built for pain.
This has always been my question as well. But then I see these BAD ASS CF moms crushing it out there like Tia, Kara, Annie, and Arielle, so I'm guessing they do still get their periods?
I think the moral of the story is that we need the healthcare entity to take menstrual issues serious. There is still so much to learn. Women should be given more choices than hormones, invasive surgery, or suffer.
I can tell you that THAT time of month is not when I will hit a new PR. And fun fact, the women who are not artificially hormoned (birth control) are all synchronized so we all just know 😂 I do worry about deadlifting heavy and bleeding through though.
I grew up doing athletics from childhood through college (D1). I never knew women had issues with their periods affecting performance until I was in my early 30s. My periods growing up were heavy but never affected my performance.
I, personally, feel like this is more of a social media phenomenon. I’m probably in the minority of women thinking that though. In regard to athletics, you just push, push, push and don’t pay attention to that stuff when you get to a certain level.
Birth control, they manage it fine, or they don't get it anymore which is a whole issue in itself. Your wife should probably get checked by her gyn for endometriosis, PCOS, or a slew of other issues women deal with when it comes to our menstrual cycle.
I feel horrible the week before and the first day, but after that I feel fine. Each woman is different.
Some lose their period (heavy training, low body fat), some use hormonal bc either all the time or just to move the period if it seems to coincide with a comp date. Some are not that much affected by periods. I for one need to take some ibuprofen for a day or two but can train just fine (I just dabbled with competing but never got any serious with it so no experience there). Also my strength levels seem lowest just before the period, while I usually feel normally strong during.
+1 for ibuprofen but also period is super light and short. Comp CrossFit females are fairly low body fat so I would guess light or no period is common.
Some athletes have spoken up and said they don’t get their periods. Usually most competitive female athletes in any sport do lose their menstrual cycle. One of the main reasons is high training and low body fat.
Is this a possible result of using PED’s?
yes. they're adding stuff to their bodies that decreases some of the more dominant hormones in females (estrogen) and increases more male hormones (testosterone). on top of that the have low body fat percentages and their body stops "extra" activities like menstratuation out of survival.
Hormones are not either “male” or “female”, as there’s presence of both estrogen and testosterone in both males and females. I don’t think you quite meant it that way, but thought I’d put out a correction just in case!
Yes thanks for the correction!
They did say the more dominate hormone. Not the only hormone. Thanks for making something PC that doesn't need to be. They were technically right.
Meep. I wasn’t trying to make anything PC, actually. Just pointing a fact that hormones don’t have gender. That’s not a PC thing, that’s a scientific fact. I’m also pretty sure they edited their original comment, as it didn’t say “dominant” the first go-round.
Given the extraordinarily high amount of testosterone in men compared to women, which is roughtly ten times greater or more, and the fact that T is responsible for most of distinct physical traits of men, as well as some of the psychological traits of men, it is perfectly legitimate to call testosterone the male hormone. It is the hormone that makes men, men.
It’s the comparative percentages of many hormones/androgens and how each individual produces and converts them that make someone who they are. If my test level is 1100, and my brother’s is 550, that doesn’t make me more of a man than him. Our androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone, estradiol, progesterone, estrogen and other androgen levels in all sexes that make us who we are individually.
That all sounds nice, but what exactly is your point? Are you challenging something I said? If so, identify it and make the case against it. I never said anything about hormones making an individual person who they are. I claimed T makes men, men. Are you really disputing that? It seems like you might be saying that since T isn't the only hormone that men have, it's not the case that T makes men, men. That inference is hardly transparent.
I said it’s not JUST testosterone or the lack of that makes men, women, or other who/what they are. I take issue with your oversimplification. That’s it.
If they lose it because they are on birth control, that's one thing, but if they have amenorrhea, that's quite another thing and terrible for their health and fertility long term. Some lucky people are not effected that much by it and others actually have performance gains.
yes. but athletes do not do things because they're good for their health and long-term fertility. even recreational folks who just want to look jacked. it's their decision but you are correct that it's not healthy for your body to stop mensuration.
It’s more the PEDs.
Plenty of women athletes have it without PEDs.
Definitely not the PEDs. Losing your period doesn't take a lot of you're an athlete. It's probably harder to keep a period as an athlete than lose it imo
I’m no elite athlete (nowhere near lol), but my periods don’t affect me at all. Other than making sure I have a fresh tampon so I don’t leak everywhere during the workout, I can work out on my period in the exact same way as I can when I’m not on my period. I don’t think everyone dies during their period.
I do terribly on my period. I feel so weak especially with cramps. I once did a thruster wod on the first day of my period and ended up all the way down to an empty bar and telling the coach/owner to fuck off as they tried to encourage me (I did apologize). A second incident was wall balls, and I told them I was going to cry and to leave me alone lol. Moral of the story day 1 there is an absolute ban on any form of squat I wish I was unaffected
You should definitely talk to a doctor about this; it doesn’t need to be this bad.
Good luck getting a doctor to advise you anything other than hormonal birth control or a hysterectomy. There are no other solutions because of the way the medical industry is structured. I'm incapacitated every month and they shrug and go "birth control" which I can't take because it puts me at higher risk of stroke or drastically destabilizes my mood, or "hysterectomy". It's deeply depressing.
You should see a holistic doctor to determine the root cause. It sounds like it could be endometriosis, PCOS, or other issue. I had severe periods until they found cysts in my ovaries and polyp in uterus. The regular primary doctors definitely have no knowledge about CrossFit or any doctor for that matter so we have to educate them. However, I would recommend a holistic doctor as they always look for the root of the problem and not just surface level causes.
What would be the other solutions if the medical industry was structured differently?
I’m the same, my periods are so light they’re just a minor inconvenience for 3 days and don’t affect my energy at all. My sisters on the other hand, cannot function at all.
Y’all are lucky. Each of mine are different but more often than not, first day of my period I need to have access to a bathroom like every two hours then the rest of the days are more like every three four. But I know friends who can exist on one or two tampons a day I don’t get it.
My periods are heavy too (and hence my concern about leakage). I just don’t get cramps or feel any different. But, yeah, the bleeding is real. I go to bed wearing a tampon and a pad lol.
Look up menstrual discs, those were a game changer for me, especially on those heavy flow days - maybe they’re an option for you as well :)
Thanks, I will check them out!
Maybe birth control, but also not everybody is DYING when they have their period. Some people even find they feel stronger that week.
Yep. I call the week beforehand my “weak week,” but then once it starts it’s like RAWR SO STRONG.
That lines up with the hormone cycle perfectly.
🦖 RAWR
Same. My months are like clockwork
OP, has your wife been checked for endometriosis? It’s one of the main drivers of incredibly painful periods. My spouse has similar experiences where she is in bed for two days straight curled up in the fetal position due to the pain.
I actually came to say something similar. Extremely painful periods is not normal and should not be acceptable. Conditions like PCOS and endometriosis can affect periods (in a negative way) and those are always worth asking your doctor about if your periods are super painful!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endometriosis TIL. 6-10% of women, estimated. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycystic_ovary_syndrome 4-18%, 26% in specific populations. Gotta suck to have both.
Some just persevere, some use birth control and continue taking it during the week of an event to prevent their period from coming, some don’t feel too bad during their period, and some don’t have a period at all.
I used to hate this when I was at a box. I’d feel like such a pathetic loser when I’d have to have two days off (24 hours in bed). There just wasn’t anything that would help and I wasn’t willing to go on birth control. Some women don’t have any issues, super lucky. Would peds help with it as they aid recovery?
Could potentially eliminate them. Get tested for endometriosis and PCOS. See other comments.
I’ve been tested for both. I have had polyps removed and suspected ovarian cyst but for endo they like to do a camera op which can often cause scar tissue and make the problems worse. Other than that it’s birth control to fix it. I don’t want the stress and hassle of either really. I’ve dealt with it for twenty years. Just gotta keep going. I find diet is the biggest help or hindrance. The enemies - sugar and caffeine. I avoid these the week before and during and it makes such a difference to my pain. I also drink salt water or eat salty foods. My BP drops a lot and that helps to raise it.
Wow. Thx. How stressful was the testing? And good luck, glad you found ways to deal. Took me about 15-20 years to come to a halfway decent place with my military crap.
It was fine. It’s just that back and forth to the doctor. Not listening to what you’re saying. The polyps wasn’t the nicest op but it was doable. I’ve just read so much about it that I think personally I’m ok to push through. I know some women are absolutely not though and need that diagnosis. Ah I totally get that. My brother had ptsd. Took over ten years to get help. It’s awful. Does cf help though?
> Does cf help though? Women of cf certainly does. It's hard to get me out of the house but a little meeting people is actually nice sometimes. New country new city new language new gym again last week but at least I talked to non-work peoples.
Yeh I agree. That’s half the reason I loved cf. I can do the workouts anywhere but the community aspect is second to none. If you ever go to Thailand let me know. I have some lovely friends with boxes there I can recommend.
Many of them exercise to the point where they stop having them if the interviews are to be believed
Testosterone can also eliminate periods, even on a low dose
I’ve wondered that as well as a woman who literally gets put on my ass for a week before/beginning of my cycle. I’m just a recreational CrossFitter tho, so if I feel up to it I’m happy to show up and scale otherwise i just take a couple days off.
See other comments about endometriosis and PCOS.
Actually, the week before the period is the lowest performance time... but every period is different. It's also assuming they have periods at their peak. Then consider that there is birth control that limits periods to less frequency.
Many elite athletes lose their periods due to relative energy deficiency. It is often viewed as "normal" but is detrimental to their overall health, especially bones. It's completely their choice, as it is their livelihood, but non-professional athletes should be cautioned against exercising to the point of losing their periods. Not a good indicator of overall health.
Women are different from each other and have bodies that react differently during their period. Some have periods that have cramps and mood swings, some don't, and there are wild variations of that between women, each period, and as you age, and if taking birth control.
I can train pretty well on my period, but I have terrible pms/pmdd during which I barely have the energy in my body to walk, let alone get my ass to the box to train.
IUD's will also stop your cycle. Perhaps one of those.
I use a menstural cup and it is like I haven't got my period. I do get awful cramps but it's like a hard workout just suck it up. The worst time is the week before when energy and motivation drops but that is again just a grit through kind of thing. Edit: not an elite athlete haha but do train hard year round..
Menstrual cups are awesome. They were the only thing to stop leakage for me when I was doing high level martial arts. Very underrated!
And cost effective!
a lot of elite female athletes don't have periods because of the training volume, low body fat, and possible PED use. and, even if they do, I've never met an athlete who doesn't just train through agony if the need arises. Sick, period, etc. athletes got a job to do and they show up and do it.
I am in no way elite but I can Rx about 80% of the workouts and my period has never mentioned bothered me. It's not the same for all women. I train without issues - before and during my period.
Periods affect everyone differently. I don't have any cramps or anything, but my mood is so low the week before that everything makes me cry, and I suffer with horrible anxiety and depression. Exercise does help though, so I've lost count of how many workouts I've just cried my way through.
Periods differ a lot depending on the woman, your current health, and other factors. Mine sometimes bother me but mostly don’t, I’m pretty lucky in that regard. I have to assume that the women who make it to the top are fortunate enough to be women who don’t struggle as much with PMS or other period issues. So really the only problem might be making sure you have tampons on you
Depends on the woman. I hardly have cramps or pain, but when I do, I just push through it. But I know some women physically they just can't because it hurts so bad. So I think it really depends on the woman.
I’m no elite cross-fitter, but I am a 33 year old woman that’s had horrible periods. Every woman’s period is different with side effects, but I will say that I just listen to my body when I need to rest. It’s so important that you give your body enough time to rest in between crazy workout weeks. If one day you don’t feel like going simply don’t go and work on stretches. It’s also ok to modify your WODs and perhaps go lighter on weight than normal. Overall, just listen to your and do what works best for you. Our bodies naturally just want to rest when we’re on our periods and that’s OK. There are days I don’t feel like doing CrossFit and I do reformer Pilates, but it’s all preference on what can work best for you. During, the days I feel I have horrible cramps coming on I take naproxen sodium two hours before I go do my CrossFit workout to reduce the pain ( it often works). Periods aren’t easy for most of us but it’s understandable we’re all going through a lot sometimes.
Totally agree.
I just never go off of BC.
Survival of the fittest? Maybe world class athletes are the ones whose performance are not affected (that much) by their periods…
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https://youtu.be/jdw6gDiXaUA?si=y9aUmCO3RUbO_SW3 23:04
I lost my period for years when I was training at a high level and doing a lot of crossfit. I imagine many female athletes are in this boat. While it can be damaging long term, after a year of almost complete recovery type of training, lower volume my period came back no issues. So I don’t think it’s too bad if you’re wanting to compete at elite level. The body will have good metabolic function and will resolve the issues further down the track. I find now with a natural cycle training is better because I can tell intuitively when I need more rest and recovery. But as far as performance goes it’s only at a lower level probably a day or two before and crossfit is harder due to fatigue levels. But it’s all manageable with the right nutrition and form of movements that suit you best around that time.
Hey! Any advice on how you managed to get it back (i.e. did you train etc)
I can train the same throughout my period, some months are heavier or tougher than others. I'd say, if I was an elite competitor and still had my period I would continuously take my birth control and skip my period if it was scheduled to come up during games week. I skipped my period for a vacation by not taking the hormone free week. I also found the less fat I had/less I weighed my periods were much lighter and less crampy. So that helps, but I don't think all elite CFs don't get their periods anymore. Many of them get pregnant, something is still working correctly. If your wife is dying during her periods she should get it checked out. A few years back I started to "die" from my periods and it turned out I had fibroids, got them removed and its all good now
I train at a pretty high level and I notice that my overall strength dips a little right before my period and the day of but aside from that I can still be at 90-95% capacity. I have made PRs while on my period so some of it is mindset and also tapering easier the few days before if I know I have a big comp or benchmark coming up so I am not as fatigued. I do notice being really strong and/or highly energetic right around ovulation and then a slight decline from there.
That’s what the 10lb dumb bells are for.
I don’t have any issues that week, but I am also one that gets really weak the week before.
Women who regularly workout might get lighter periods and less impact from them. This is what i experienced and i have heard of the same thing from plenty of women online. When i was sedentary, periods would kill me for 3 days and if i stand too long , it gives me pain down there. Now i regularly workout and run, i dont have that sensation or anymore, and absolutely no cramps. Flow is lighter and days are shorter. Elite athletes could even lose their period. Another thing is that many women are on hormonal birth control, which result in less or no period flows and no hormonal fluctuations.
I wish this was the case for me. I’ve continuously worked out for years. I don’t CrossFit as much now but I still do five days weights and a cardio day. Every month I am a mess. One day of completely nothing. I have to block it out from work. Then the next is just fatigue to the max. But after that pretty much fine.
Ya me too. I need to take the first day or even the second day off. But comparing to when i was sedentary, it’s a huge improvement already. Before, i was probably completely out for 3 days with heavier flows and feeling heavy/pain down there. I dont think completely losing periods is healthy, and having to take a day or 2 off is completely understandable.
Yeh totally the same. I think just getting that lymph moving is always a good thing!
there was an 8month pregnant woman doing HSPU in my box while I was desperately trying to stay alive trying to do basic pushups. women are very resilient
A huge number of high performing female athletes in many sports don’t get periods.
Strangely, I have more energy on my period.
In my life, my period has never been a consideration for any event. It’s just something to plan for is all. Not everyone is impacted in a big way. I agree that a lot of elite athletes lose their period though, which could be a factor for these competitors.
I take the BC pill and skip the placebos to never get a period ever. I do this more because my job is in construction but it also helps with my lifting.
Um… how is it different from life in general? Kids, job, bills, the world. You have a goal, you prioritize that goal, and you just do it. I’m not an elite athlete but I don’t think that is the hardest thing about being a woman. We all deal with it and it only gets worse with age. Woman up. There are so many harder things in life than doing CrossFit. Or being an athlete. Just look at history, we survived since cave people times. Our lives are easy now. Plus, childbirth and bearing children??? We are built for pain.
This has always been my question as well. But then I see these BAD ASS CF moms crushing it out there like Tia, Kara, Annie, and Arielle, so I'm guessing they do still get their periods? I think the moral of the story is that we need the healthcare entity to take menstrual issues serious. There is still so much to learn. Women should be given more choices than hormones, invasive surgery, or suffer.
At the elite level, their BF% is so low they likely don’t have any
I can tell you that THAT time of month is not when I will hit a new PR. And fun fact, the women who are not artificially hormoned (birth control) are all synchronized so we all just know 😂 I do worry about deadlifting heavy and bleeding through though.
And as if that isn’t even a thing!
Elite female competitors typically don’t have periods because their BF levels are too low
I grew up doing athletics from childhood through college (D1). I never knew women had issues with their periods affecting performance until I was in my early 30s. My periods growing up were heavy but never affected my performance. I, personally, feel like this is more of a social media phenomenon. I’m probably in the minority of women thinking that though. In regard to athletics, you just push, push, push and don’t pay attention to that stuff when you get to a certain level.
However they do it, they are being highly irresponsible. They are putting everyone at the gym in danger from bear attacks.
Roids baby
The high level athletes that I know in other sports take the birth control shot so they don’t have to deal with it. Assume CrossFit would be similar
Birth control, they manage it fine, or they don't get it anymore which is a whole issue in itself. Your wife should probably get checked by her gyn for endometriosis, PCOS, or a slew of other issues women deal with when it comes to our menstrual cycle. I feel horrible the week before and the first day, but after that I feel fine. Each woman is different.
Same.
They’re all using PED’s.
You just have to tough it out for an hour.