Cycle concerns, mood shifts, hot flashes, weight gain, sleep disruptions… Perimenopause and menopause can be frustrating and uncomfortable, to say the least. What’s more, all the changes to our bodies can impact running performance—in training and in competition.
The good news? Studies show that regular exercise significantly reduces menopausal symptoms and improves vitality as well as mental health.1 As a runner, you’ve already got habits in place that will help you navigate these life stages.
And the great news? With just a few small tweaks or additions to your routine, these phases don’t have to slow you down. At Solaray, we’re on a mission to help you get the information and support you need, and to help you run your best race. Read on for our tips.
1. Brush Up On What’s Happening—And Why
Leading up to and in menopause, you’re undergoing a great deal of hormonal change that impacts almost every tissue in your body. At least 34 common symptoms are associated with this milestone.2
Just knowing that shifts to your body composition and the way you feel and perform may be attributed to decreases in estrogen and other life-stage factors can assure you that you aren’t doing anything wrong in your training, and help keep motivation up so you can stay the course. There are a wealth of perimenopause and menopause resources out there from trusted experts. (Like this article, with wisdom from Pamela Peeke, MD, the doctor behind our her life STAGES line.)
2. Listen to Your Body
These life stages can be unpredictable, so you’ll likely need to be more flexible with your training plans. Energy levels, in particular, wax and wane, and you just may not be up for a long run when scheduled. If you’re feeling fatigued, consider yoga or an easy walk—or even a nap. Be kind to yourself and work with your body. Rest days can be just as important as run days.
3. Pump Up Your Strength Training
Women tend to show declines in muscle strength and power during the menopausal transition and into postmenopause. Research highlights perimenopause as a particularly vulnerable time for loss of muscle mass.3,4 But studies also demonstrate that higher levels of physical activity, especially strength training, can help counteract this decline. Research even suggests strength training improves running economy in distance athletes.5,6
Try swapping some of your runs for strength-training sessions to help you build more lean muscle, feel stronger, and perform better—and to give your bones a boost, too.
4. Dial In Your Nutrition
A balanced, varied diet is key to staying healthy through perimenopause and menopause, and to powering your racing. But there are two nutrients you may want to pay special attention to now: protein and iron.
Results from the Women’s Health Initiative suggest that a higher protein intake can help buffer against the loss of muscle mass and related negative outcomes that typically occur in these stages. In the study, women consumed 1-2 g per kg of body weight per day.7
If you’re experiencing heavier or more frequent periods in perimenopause, you could be low in iron. Talk with your doctor about eating more iron-rich foods and if an iron supplement is right for you.
5. Get Support for Your Symptoms
Of course, even with exercise, you can still experience aggravating symptoms. And to run your best race, you don’t want to be fatigued from lack of sleep or dealing with menstrual concerns or low mood. That’s where her life STAGES supplements come in. They’re doctor-formulated, made for women by women, with scientifically backed ingredients.
STAGES Perimenopause is designed to support a healthy cycle, positive outlook, hot flashes and night sweats, and sound sleep.*†‡ STAGES Menopause provides hot flash, mood, and sleep support, too, and it supports energy, weight loss, and a healthy body composition.*‡
Both provide essential minerals for blood glucose and thyroid support, plus a trace mineral complex to promote overall wellness.* They’re vegan, gluten-free, and made without hormones or soy.
Like all Solaray supplements, the entire line—which also includes PMS & Menstrual, Postmenopause, and Libido formulas—is verified for purity and potency at our state-of-the-art lab in Ogden, Utah.
Own Your Stage
Perimenopause and menopause are natural, normal life phases, and the changes they bring don’t have to put you on the sidelines. With subtle shifts to your routine, you can set yourself up for success—for crossing that finish line.
Resources:
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Jolanta Dąbrowska et al. “Twelve-week Exercise Training and the Quality of Life in Menopausal Women–Clinical Trial.” Prz Menopauzalny. 2016 Mar; 15(1): 20–25. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4828504.
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“What Are the 34 Symptoms of Menopause and What helps?” Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/what-are-the-34-symptoms-of-menopause.
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J Gerontol and A Biol. “Physical Performance During the Menopausal Transition and the Role of Physical Activity.” Sci Med Sci. 2021 Sep; 76(9): 1587–1590. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8361353.
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Jupil Ko and Young-Min Park. “Menopause and the Loss of Skeletal Muscle Mass in Women.” Iran J Public Health. 2021 Feb; 50(2): 413–414. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7956097.
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Eduard Isenmann et al. “Resistance Training Alters Body Composition in Middle-aged Women Depending on Menopause-A 20-week Control Trial.” BMC Womens Health. 2023; 23: 526. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10559623.
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Oyvind Størenh et al. “Maximal Strength Training Improves Running Economy in Distance Runners.” Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2008 Jun;40(6):1087-92. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18460997.
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Jeannette M. Beasley et al. “Protein Intake and Incident Frailty in the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study.” Am Geriatr Soc. 2010 Jun; 58(6): 1063–1071. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2924946.
† As experienced in conjunction with a normal, healthy period.
‡ As experienced in conjunction with perimenopause or menopause.