Female sportspersons and periods.

Squatter · 22-05-2019 11:26am #1

Interesting article. Answers some questions that I've never dared to ask.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/48243310

Dial Hard · 22-05-2019 11:40am

I'm actually surprised how many of them seem to be on their natural cycle. Tis far from an elite athlete I am but I've been happily chemically controlled for years now and only bother with one or two withdrawal bleeds a year. I know the Pill doesn't suit everyone but I'm surprised at how few of them seem to use it, according to that article anyway. Why anyone would have a period when they don't have to is beyond me.

22-05-2019 3:27pm

Aside from taking pills I'm surprised many who are in sports which require super low body fat would be on a natural cycle.

chicorytip · 22-05-2019 10:08pm

Dial Hard wrote:

I'm actually surprised how many of them seem to be on their natural cycle. Tis far from an elite athlete I am but I've been happily chemically controlled for years now and only bother with one or two withdrawal bleeds a year. I know the Pill doesn't suit everyone but I'm surprised at how few of them seem to use it, according to that article anyway. Why anyone would have a period when they don't have to is beyond me.

Well, it is an entirely natural physical experience for a woman to undergo so I am sure most are completely accepting of that and do not regard it as either an ordeal or a nuisance.

Airyfairy12 · 23-05-2019 12:46am

chicorytip wrote: »

Well, it is an entirely natural physical experience for a woman to undergo so I am sure most are completely accepting of that and do not regard it as either an ordeal or a nuisance.

Have you ever had a period? Doesnt sound like you have, Ill explain to you what its like as youre obviously completely ignorant to what its like to have one.
Having a period feels like being repeatedly stabbed in your lower abdomen while also randomly wanting to punch walls and cry because periods fu ck with your hormones and emotions.

They literally can make you feel suicidal.

Dial Hard wrote: »

I'm actually surprised how many of them seem to be on their natural cycle. Tis far from an elite athlete I am but I've been happily chemically controlled for years now and only bother with one or two withdrawal bleeds a year. I know the Pill doesn't suit everyone but I'm surprised at how few of them seem to use it, according to that article anyway. Why anyone would have a period when they don't have to is beyond me.

GP's generally dont give the coil, chip or injection to young women or women who havnt had kids.

The pill wont stop a period, it can lighten them and help symptoms if you get the right pill that works well with your body but generally that takes allot of trial and error. I remember being on Yaz and was like a lunatic.

greenspurs · 23-05-2019 9:38am

chicorytip wrote: »

Well, it is an entirely natural physical experience for a woman to undergo so I am sure most are completely accepting of that and do not regard it as either an ordeal or a nuisance.

Brave? or just asking for trouble ? :eek:

You are gonna get it !!! :rolleyes::D

jam_mac_jam · 23-05-2019 9:45am

Airyfairy12 wrote: »

Have you ever had a period? Doesnt sound like you have, Ill explain to you what its like as youre obviously completely ignorant to what its like to have one.
Having a period feels like being repeatedly stabbed in your lower abdomen while also randomly wanting to punch walls and cry because periods fu ck with your hormones and emotions.

They literally can make you feel suicidal.

GP's generally dont give the coil, chip or injection to young women or women who havnt had kids.

The pill wont stop a period, it can lighten them and help symptoms if you get the right pill that works well with your body but generally that takes allot of trial and error. I remember being on Yaz and was like a lunatic.

No they aren’t. They really are not a big deal for most people. They can be for some people so I am not saying none suffer but most women do not feel like they are being stabbed.
Obviously if you suffer that much then it would make sense to be on the pill. For the vast majority of women it’s a mild inconvenience and so is treated as such.

....... · 23-05-2019 9:49am

Airyfairy12 wrote: »

GP's generally dont give the coil, chip or injection to young women or women who havnt had kids.

Incorrect. All of the above are available to women who have not had children. Although Im not quite sure what the "chip" is - I presume the bar implant? Both it and the depot injection are just slow release hormones and having given birth or not is irrelevant. The Mirena is available to women who have not had children, but may require a more onerous insertion.

Airyfairy12 wrote: »

The pill wont stop a period, it can lighten them and help symptoms if you get the right pill that works well with your body but generally that takes allot of trial and error. I remember being on Yaz and was like a lunatic.

The combined pill (estrogen and progesterone) will stop periods if used with no break - which they now say is medically safe. Although it is still prescribed so as to give a withdrawal week every 4th week.

The mini pill (progesterone only) will also stop periods completely for many women.

Although the side effects of hormonal medication are probably not welcome for female athletes.

Would they not fail drug testing if they are using synthetic hormones?

And also - would extra synthetic FEMALE hormones not be the worst thing an athlete could take - if anything theyd want more testosterone?

greenspurs · 23-05-2019 9:58am

....... wrote: »

Incorrect. All of the above are available to women who have not had children. Although Im not quite sure what the "chip" is - I presume the bar implant? Both it and the depot injection are just slow release hormones and having given birth or not is irrelevant. The Mirena is available to women who have not had children, but may require a more onerous insertion.

The combined pill (estrogen and progesterone) will stop periods if used with no break - which they now say is medically safe. Although it is still prescribed so as to give a withdrawal week every 4th week.

The mini pill (progesterone only) will also stop periods completely for many women.

Although the side effects of hormonal medication are probably not welcome for female athletes.

Would they not fail drug testing if they are using synthetic hormones?

And also - would extra synthetic FEMALE hormones be the worst thing an athlete could take - if anything theyd want more testosterone?

Careful now !
Theres not enough outrage in that and you make too much sense.

....... · 23-05-2019 10:00am

greenspurs wrote: »

Careful now !
Theres not enough outrage in that and you make too much sense.

And I left out an important word in the last sentence but now that youve quoted it my shame is there forever to be seen.

My emotionally overwrought and stabbed abdomen cries.

Addle · 23-05-2019 10:03am

I’m not a sports person but I know that my menstrual cycle isn’t as noticeable at times when I’m keeping fit and eating well.
And I don’t like taking hormones so I don’t take the pill.

kunst nugget · 23-05-2019 10:07am

Airyfairy12 wrote: »

GP's generally dont give the coil, chip or injection to young women or women who havnt had kids.

I've known a fair few women that have gotten one of these when they had no kids. None of these are permanent solutions and are easily reversible.

23-05-2019 10:15am

Airyfairy12 wrote: »

Have you ever had a period? Doesnt sound like you have, Ill explain to you what its like as youre obviously completely ignorant to what its like to have one.
Having a period feels like being repeatedly stabbed in your lower abdomen while also randomly wanting to punch walls and cry because periods fu ck with your hormones and emotions.

They literally can make you feel suicidal.

I never had a period, but a brief research says if you are not over weight and you take regular exercise you will not have the symptoms you describe.

Obvoius to say, YOU may be an exception.

So, athletes probably do not have a "bad" experience because their bodies are healthy?

tuxy · 23-05-2019 10:17am

If an elite athlete decides to take steroids birth control won't be their first choice.

Airyfairy12 · 23-05-2019 10:53am

....... wrote: »

Incorrect. All of the above are available to women who have not had children. Although Im not quite sure what the "chip" is - I presume the bar implant? Both it and the depot injection are just slow release hormones and having given birth or not is irrelevant. The Mirena is available to women who have not had children, but may require a more onerous insertion.

The combined pill (estrogen and progesterone) will stop periods if used with no break - which they now say is medically safe. Although it is still prescribed so as to give a withdrawal week every 4th week.

Reread my comment, never said they wearnt available. I said GP's are reluctant to give them to women who havnt had kids, ive been to three different doctors over the last ten years and all of them said the same thing to me.
Their reasoning was they cause can too many side effects, can be too costly and difficult to remove and can cause fertility problems in some women months after removal.

The combined pill wont stop periods with no break, where are you getting this from? They can lighten periods - how much they lighten depends on the person, some people will only get light spotting when on their period, others will have a heavier flow with less pain but they rarely completely stop a period, even if taken for four weeks. My period still starts when im on the pill and I know allot of my friends experience the same.

Airyfairy12 · 23-05-2019 10:57am

Deleted User wrote: »

I never had a period, but a brief research says if you are not over weight and you take regular exercise you will not have the symptoms you describe.

Obvoius to say, YOU may be an exception.

So, athletes probably do not have a "bad" experience because their bodies are healthy?

'You never had a period' - you dont get to have an opinion or tell women they dont have the symptoms they describe.

Every woman is different and experiences periods differently.

greenspurs · 23-05-2019 10:58am

Airyfairy12 wrote: »

'You never had a period' - you dont get to have an opinion or tell women they dont have the symptoms they describe.

Every woman is different and experiences periods differently.

WOW ! :eek: :rolleyes:

Airyfairy12 · 23-05-2019 11:01am

greenspurs wrote: »

WOW ! :eek: :rolleyes:

I eat healthy, I go to the gym 3 days a week, I dont smoke and rearly drink yet some random lad comments that I wouldn't be getting such bad period cramps if I was healthier.

:rolleyes:

Unless youre a doctor or someone who actually experiences having periods, your opinion on period symptoms is mostly irrelevant.

greenspurs · 23-05-2019 11:07am

Airyfairy12 wrote: »

I eat healthy, I go to the gym 3 days a week, I dont smoke and rearly drink yet some random lad comments that I wouldn't be getting such bad period cramps if I was healthier.

:rolleyes:

Unless youre a doctor or someone who actually experiences having periods, your opinion on period symptoms is mostly irrelevant.

But could a male doctor know? :rolleyes:

relax will yaa, your getting a bit salty over other peoples opinions
, and we are allowed give an opinion (I think?) or are men now not allowed give an opinion on issues relating to women.

B0jangles · 23-05-2019 11:11am

Deleted User wrote: »

I never had a period, but a brief research says if you are not over weight and you take regular exercise you will not have the symptoms you describe.

Obvoius to say, YOU may be an exception.

So, athletes probably do not have a "bad" experience because their bodies are healthy?

Sorry, but your 'brief research' has left you about 99% as ill-informed on the subject as you were before.

Painful periods are a fact of life for a very large number of women and for a very large range of reasons. Extremely healthy women can have horrible periods and extremely unhealthy women can have almost unnoticeable ones.

I've been both pretty damn unhealthy and healthy at different times of my life and my experience of periods was identical throughout. I'm one of the lucky ones

Everyone is of course entitled to have an opinion, but it does look better if it is based on at least a basic understanding of the topic in question.

Airyfairy12 · 23-05-2019 11:11am

greenspurs wrote: »

But could a male doctor know? :rolleyes:

relax will yaa, your getting a bit salty over other peoples opinions
, and we are allowed give an opinion (I think?) or are men now not allowed give an opinion on issues relating to women.

Im not getting salty, im just saying

Every woman experiences periods differently, my periods arent even the same one month from the next so like ill informed opinions from people who know nothing about periods dont help anything.

Dial Hard · 23-05-2019 11:19am

Deleted User wrote: »

I never had a period, but a brief research says if you are not over weight and you take regular exercise you will not have the symptoms you describe.

Obvoius to say, YOU may be an exception.

So, athletes probably do not have a "bad" experience because their bodies are healthy?

Did you read the article in question? All of the athletes featured have had their training and performance affected by their period.

Airyfairy12 wrote: »

The combined pill wont stop periods with no break, where are you getting this from? They can lighten periods - how much they lighten depends on the person, some people will only get light spotting when on their period, others will have a heavier flow with less pain but they rarely completely stop a period, even if taken for four weeks. My period still starts when im on the pill and I know allot of my friends experience the same.

I'm on a combined pill and as I stated in my original post, I only take about two withdrawal bleeds a year. The rest of the time I run my packs together and don't bleed at all.

greenspurs · 23-05-2019 11:23am

Airyfairy12 wrote: »

Im not getting salty, im just saying

Every woman experiences periods differently, my periods arent even the same one month from the next so like ill informed opinions from people who know nothing about periods dont help anything.

They don't help anything ?
Do ill informed opinions by anon on Boards matter ?
I don't understand how people get triggered enough by a fairly innocuous comment about women by a man gets yee all het up about it!

I bet its not as bad as a kick in the balls though !

SusieBlue · 23-05-2019 11:25am

I had to go on the pill at the age of 16, mine were so heavy & painful. I couldn't even stand up straight when I had one, they were honestly excruciating and I used to miss school over them.
The stomach cramps, dull thudding lower back pain, bloating, nausea, and not to mention the heavy haemorrhaging was a massive inconvenience, I was literally no good for 4-5 days a month.
And I wasn't overweight or unhealthy. I don't think my experience is uncommon.
On the pill a number of years now and they're a breeze, significantly lighter and nowhere near as painful. No real inconvenience at all compared to when I didn't take hormones. I dread the day I have to come off it.

Its understandable that it would impact the performance of athletes but unfortunately they're stuck between a rock and a hard place. Its either heavy, painful periods (if that's an issue for them) or take hormones, which come with their own risks and issues (weight gain, depression, hormone imbalance etc).
Either way they're at a disadvantage.

Airyfairy12 · 23-05-2019 11:26am

greenspurs wrote: »

They don't help anything ?
Do ill informed opinions by anon on Boards matter ?
I don't understand how people get triggered enough by a fairly innocuous comment about women by a man gets yee all het up about it!

I bet its not as bad as a kick in the balls though !

You sound like the only one whose triggered tbh :pac:

Airyfairy12 · 23-05-2019 11:35am

Dial Hard wrote: »

I'm on a combined pill and as I stated in my original post, I only take about two withdrawal bleeds a year. The rest of the time I run my packs together and don't bleed at all.

Im on combined pill too but my period starts a day or two before I stop taking them for the week. Everyones different so its not a reliable form of stopping periods as they dont work that way for everyone.

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5 · 23-05-2019 11:43am

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I never had a period, but a brief research says if you are not over weight and you take regular exercise you will not have the symptoms you describe.

Obvoius to say, YOU may be an exception.

So, athletes probably do not have a "bad" experience because their bodies are healthy?

I'm slim and fairly fit and I get a couple of horrendous periods a year interspersed with merely very bad ones; last month I was woken at 5am and had to go puke from the pain. Spent the next couple of hours on my hands and knees focusing on my breathing. Was caught on the hop by that one so had no painkillers in in fairness but the only thing that even takes the edge off menstrual pain like that is a high dose of codeine, which I try to avoid.

There's nothing "wrong" (trust me I've looked into it) apart from I have a body that gets particularly furious at me when I don't let it get pregnant :pac: runs in the family too, menstrual stuff tends to.

The pill is not an option for me, I've tried several over the years and it's disastrous. I've been advised by a gynecologist I saw about this (thinking I had cervical or ovarian cancer or something) to look into the Kyleena coil, as it's hormonal and I've previously become suicidal while taking hormonal contraception I'm pretty hesitant but apparently because it's localised rather than systemic there *shouldn't* be the same issues but there are no guarantees.

Yes living a healthy lifestyle, figuring out patterns and triggers will help but some of us, and we're not particularly rare exceptions, just really drew the short straw on this front and have to just get on with it. The women for whom a period is just a mild inconvenience are the exception imo. It's a painful messy tiring experience 12 times a year for most of your life.

Really not sure why you have bad in scare quotes there, that's like saying oh sure for some men maybe a kick in the balls is "painful".

....... · 23-05-2019 11:56am

Airyfairy12 wrote: »

Reread my comment, never said they wearnt available. I said GP's are reluctant to give them to women who havnt had kids, ive been to three different doctors over the last ten years and all of them said the same thing to me.
Their reasoning was they cause can too many side effects, can be too costly and difficult to remove and can cause fertility problems in some women months after removal.

Not in my experience or anyone I know since the mid 90s tbh. Most of my child free friends have been using one of the above for 20 odd years with no reluctance from their GP.

They used to be reluctant re the copper coil for women who hadnt had children but since the advent of the Mirena its been a dawdle.

All of the items you mentioned have the same side effects as the pill. The Mirena can be removed easily, and so can the implant. Its only the depot injection that doesnt have a method of "removal".

Airyfairy12 wrote: »

The combined pill wont stop periods with no break, where are you getting this from? They can lighten periods - how much they lighten depends on the person, some people will only get light spotting when on their period, others will have a heavier flow with less pain but they rarely completely stop a period, even if taken for four weeks. My period still starts when im on the pill and I know allot of my friends experience the same.

Absolutely it does. If you dont take a break week you dont get a withdrawal bleed. The packs that are 28 day packs include a hormone free week, if you skip that then you dont get the bleed. Any GP will tell you, its how women have been controlling not getting their period on holidays or for their wedding day for decades.

But if you dont believe me:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/birth-control/in-depth/birth-control-pill/art-20045136

I must say, for someone with such an attitude about periods you seem remarkably uninformed.

Gimme A Pound · 23-05-2019 12:07pm

Airyfairy12 wrote: »

Every woman is different and experiences periods differently.

Contradicts your first post where you implied that a period - any period - is horrific. And I really don't see how it was necessary for you to say "doesn't seem like you menstruate - let me explain what it's like". No that absolutely isn't what it's like for most women.

I am aware that some women do suffer horrendously every month - two of my closest friends used to, and I've seen them in a frightening state. I'm delighted that they have an option to alleviate the misery (although one of them got a bit freaked at the age of 30 that she had been on the pill continuously since she was 15) but for those of us fortunate enough not to go through anything near that amount of suffering, I have never taken the pill for any reason other than birth control. And I agree with chicorytip - for many of us, this natural occurrence is not reason enough to reduce/cut it out on a long-term basis. Why would you bother?

Biting the heads off men who say perfectly moderate things in a polite manner, gives the misogynists around here a stick to beat us with.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i · 23-05-2019 12:25pm

Airyfairy12 wrote: »

you don't get to have an opinion

Actually, everybody gets to have an opinion. Thankfully, that's the society we live in. You don't get to decide who has an opinion or not just because you don't like it.

....... · 23-05-2019 12:26pm

Paislee Careful Interrogator wrote: »

Actually, everybody gets to have an opinion. Thankfully, that's the society we live in. You don't get to decide who has an opinion or not just because you don't like it.

Opinions are like arseholes eh?

QueenMTBee · 23-05-2019 12:27pm

I’ve always been very fit and sporty and two years ago I was pretty much an athlete (although I hate using that term unless someone is actually a pro athlete). I find that when I’m at my leanest/fittest, my periods are generally much shorter compared to when I’m a more “normal” body size but definitely not any less painful. It’s just easier to cope with a few hours of pain rather than a few days. They dropped from 4-5 days to about 12-18 hours long.

When I was competing in martial arts I did notice that I lost my match every single time I had my period. I also found it harder to train those few days every month as I felt a lot weaker, got sore faster and was just out of sorts.

zedhead · 23-05-2019 1:20pm

....... wrote: »

Absolutely it does. If you dont take a break week you dont get a withdrawal bleed. The packs that are 28 day packs include a hormone free week, if you skip that then you dont get the bleed. Any GP will tell you, its how women have been controlling not getting their period on holidays or for their wedding day for decades.

But if you dont believe me:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/birth-control/in-depth/birth-control-pill/art-20045136

I must say, for someone with such an attitude about periods you seem remarkably uninformed.

Just on this - I tried this at the end of last year/ start of this year and it was a disaster. For a lot of people they will not bleed if they skip the withdrawal week but I found when i ran all my packs together I would just bleed randomly and without warning. It wasn't as heavy as a normal period or have any of the other side affects or symptoms, but it was more irritating as there was no pattern to follow or expect and could basically happen at any time. I also gained weight, bloated more easily and was more emotional.

I spoke to my GP and she said people experience it differently, I could wait and see if it levelled out or just go back to as it was before. I gave it 2 more months and reverted to having the break.

I think all women can have wildly different experiences with periods and all related regardless of what medication that is being taken at the time.

....... · 23-05-2019 2:12pm

zedhead wrote: »

Just on this - I tried this at the end of last year/ start of this year and it was a disaster. For a lot of people they will not bleed if they skip the withdrawal week but I found when i ran all my packs together I would just bleed randomly and without warning.

Yeah you can have breakthrough bleeds alright, but they tend not to come with the same level of symptoms as a normal period or withdrawal bleed.

zedhead · 23-05-2019 2:17pm

....... wrote: »

Yeah you can have breakthrough bleeds alright, but they tend not to come with the same level of symptoms as a normal period or withdrawal bleed.

Again depends on the person, mine came with a completely different set of symptoms that I have never experienced during a normal period but other women might regularly get. There really is no one size fits all.

....... · 23-05-2019 2:24pm

zedhead wrote: »

Again depends on the person, mine came with a completely different set of symptoms that I have never experienced during a normal period but other women might regularly get. There really is no one size fits all.

Its not actually a "period" though. I mean technically.

From a practical perspective it is like a period, but it is not actually a period and it can happen to any woman on any pill at any time during their cycle - not restricted to once every 4 weeks.

For the purposes of this discussion we are talking about skipping the hormone free pill week in order to suppress the 28 day withdrawal bleed and in the vast majority of cases this works and even for women who experience spotting or breakthrough bleeds - this tends to settle after a number of months. But there are always exceptions.

zedhead · 23-05-2019 2:31pm

....... wrote: »

Its not actually a "period" though. I mean technically.

From a practical perspective it is like a period, but it is not actually a period and it can happen to any woman on any pill at any time during their cycle - not restricted to once every 4 weeks.

For the purposes of this discussion we are talking about skipping the hormone free pill week in order to suppress the 28 day withdrawal bleed and in the vast majority of cases this works.

If you want to be pedantic withdrawal bleed isn't actually a period either. Its a withdrawal bleed.

That's why for a lot of women they are lighter and don't come with the same symptoms as a real period - but for a lot of women they are heavier and worse on certain pills.

I think the whole conversation whittles down to the hormonal fluctuations women experience and the side affects they come with. This tends to result in a focus on periods - but its not the be all and end all of it.

....... · 23-05-2019 2:58pm

zedhead wrote: »

If you want to be pedantic withdrawal bleed isn't actually a period either. Its a withdrawal bleed.

Indeed but the context was that I made the claim you could skip the withdrawal bleed by not breaking from the hormonal pills. The withdrawal bleed being something that happens every 4 weeks for most women who are on the combined pill.

This distinguishes it from breakthrough bleeds which can happen at any time. Neither are truly periods. But the withdrawal bleed is considered a period by most because it happens with the same timing as a normal menstrual cycle.

I was simply trying to make the distinction between bleeding that happens every 4 weeks, not be pedantic. I mean if you want to be REALLY pedantic we could also say that womans cycles vary and are not always 4 weeks. And that some women have irregular cycles etc...

But I was simply stating the general case, ie, that for most women on the combined pill they can avoid a 4 week bleed (whether you call it a period or a withdrawal bleed) by not taking a 7 day break from the hormonal pills. Sure, there are exceptions.

zedhead wrote: »

That's why for a lot of women they are lighter and don't come with the same symptoms as a real period - but for a lot of women they are heavier and worse on certain pills.

Again, see my comment above. I was referring to the withdrawal bleed as a period based on timing and common usage of how people refer to it.

zedhead wrote: »

I think the whole conversation whittles down to the hormonal fluctuations women experience and the side affects they come with. This tends to result in a focus on periods - but its not the be all and end all of it.

No and indeed PMT can cause as many problems for women as the physical period.

Every single back strain I have ever experienced in my life has been during PMT.

iptba · 24-05-2019 7:14pm

Given generally women compete against other women so if someone underperforms due to period issues, another woman could benefit from this. So it's not necessarily always a loss to everyone.

Female sportspersons and periods.

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