06-03-2016, 14:30
Female triathlete's body turning too masculine!?
August 22 2007 at 6:17 AM Jane (no login)
Hi,
So once upon a time I was endowed with a very feminine, curvy body. Wide hips, round bottom and good sized chest. Now, I've been training for a triathlon, which usually consists of two good workouts a day. Over the last, say, 60 days, my body has begun to rapidly change. My breasts have become very small, hips much more narrow and now my butt is leaving me too! I get the feeling that I must have more testosterone in my body than usual, because of how my body is starting to look. I have been very conscious to make sure I eat enough, and the amount of fat on my tummy really hasn't changed. It's all the places that I don't want to lose that I'm losing!
Help!
Lillea
(Login Lillea)
SENIOR MEMBER
Re: Female triathlete's body turning too masculine!?
August 22 2007, 8:44 AM
Hi!
Yes, unfortunately it's very likely that you're encouraging androgen (testosterone, for example) production, which leads to masculization, with such intense workouts so frequently. I did the same thing when doing a lot of weight training. You may become hairier, too. I did.
There is a joke that some men make about wanting to date women who are serious athletes. Why? Their sex drives are reported to be higher and they have a more male sex drive overall, apparently. I can believe that it might be true in some cases with the androgens being produced. Female athletes do tend to have higher androgen levels, I've read.
I stopped doing the training I was doing and switched to T-Tapp instead. Now I'm toned but not overly muscular. I don't workout heavily anymore. It wrecked my hormones.
This message has been edited by Lillea on Aug 22, 2007 8:46 AM
waxingmoon
(Login waxingmoon)
SENIOR MEMBER
Re: Female triathlete's body turning too masculine!?
August 22 2007, 12:52 PM
It is mostly a loss of body fat. You are much leaner than you were before. Our body loses fat at different rates in different areas. The fat you have around your middle is more stubborn... lol. Also, since you are under stress (triathalon training is stressfull) you are releasing cortisol which concentrates fat deposition around your belly.
The loss of body fat has lowered your overall estrogen (which is stored in body fat), so you have changed your overall hormone ratios. You do not necessarily produce more androgenic hormones, you just now have less estrogenic ones - and your progesterone is being used up to make more cortisol because of all the stress. Progesterone is used by the body to make other hormones, such as cortisol and estrogen. You have less progesterone available to make estrogen, you have less progesterone to turn on your estrogen receptors.
The bottom line is that you are starting to have a body that looks the way your body looks.
I have worked with triathletes before and I can tell you the regime is grueling for the body and not very healthy at all. They suffer a greater percentage of injuries compared to other athletes and their training programs are so intense they lose most body fat. With the fat goes the cushioning for the body and they obtain an overall 'hard' look in body and face. Look at the other triathletes around you and you will see what I mean.
I don't think triathalon training and NBE could possibly be compatible.
waxingmoon
Jane
(no login)
I think this will be my first and last triathlon!
August 22 2007, 4:18 PM
Once this triathlon is over, I plan to basically not do any cardio or weight lifting for a very long time! I will switch over to dance and yoga. My question is, how can I make sure I gain the weight back in the right places, and encourage my hormone levels to switch back over to very feminine?
Davilee
(Login Davi-lee)
Im very sorry to break-in but....
August 23 2007, 8:33 AM
Thanks Waxingmoon for that info,Ive been looking for some corroboration for something that Ive read around.
So, does PROG. multiply estrogen receptors also?
Heres cheers for ya to get back some of what ya lost,Jane.
Your body should start reverting back to normal shape if not to stressed out.
August 22 2007 at 6:17 AM Jane (no login)
Hi,
So once upon a time I was endowed with a very feminine, curvy body. Wide hips, round bottom and good sized chest. Now, I've been training for a triathlon, which usually consists of two good workouts a day. Over the last, say, 60 days, my body has begun to rapidly change. My breasts have become very small, hips much more narrow and now my butt is leaving me too! I get the feeling that I must have more testosterone in my body than usual, because of how my body is starting to look. I have been very conscious to make sure I eat enough, and the amount of fat on my tummy really hasn't changed. It's all the places that I don't want to lose that I'm losing!
Help!
Lillea
(Login Lillea)
SENIOR MEMBER
Re: Female triathlete's body turning too masculine!?
August 22 2007, 8:44 AM
Hi!
Yes, unfortunately it's very likely that you're encouraging androgen (testosterone, for example) production, which leads to masculization, with such intense workouts so frequently. I did the same thing when doing a lot of weight training. You may become hairier, too. I did.
There is a joke that some men make about wanting to date women who are serious athletes. Why? Their sex drives are reported to be higher and they have a more male sex drive overall, apparently. I can believe that it might be true in some cases with the androgens being produced. Female athletes do tend to have higher androgen levels, I've read.
I stopped doing the training I was doing and switched to T-Tapp instead. Now I'm toned but not overly muscular. I don't workout heavily anymore. It wrecked my hormones.
This message has been edited by Lillea on Aug 22, 2007 8:46 AM
waxingmoon
(Login waxingmoon)
SENIOR MEMBER
Re: Female triathlete's body turning too masculine!?
August 22 2007, 12:52 PM
It is mostly a loss of body fat. You are much leaner than you were before. Our body loses fat at different rates in different areas. The fat you have around your middle is more stubborn... lol. Also, since you are under stress (triathalon training is stressfull) you are releasing cortisol which concentrates fat deposition around your belly.
The loss of body fat has lowered your overall estrogen (which is stored in body fat), so you have changed your overall hormone ratios. You do not necessarily produce more androgenic hormones, you just now have less estrogenic ones - and your progesterone is being used up to make more cortisol because of all the stress. Progesterone is used by the body to make other hormones, such as cortisol and estrogen. You have less progesterone available to make estrogen, you have less progesterone to turn on your estrogen receptors.
The bottom line is that you are starting to have a body that looks the way your body looks.
I have worked with triathletes before and I can tell you the regime is grueling for the body and not very healthy at all. They suffer a greater percentage of injuries compared to other athletes and their training programs are so intense they lose most body fat. With the fat goes the cushioning for the body and they obtain an overall 'hard' look in body and face. Look at the other triathletes around you and you will see what I mean.
I don't think triathalon training and NBE could possibly be compatible.
waxingmoon
Jane
(no login)
I think this will be my first and last triathlon!
August 22 2007, 4:18 PM
Once this triathlon is over, I plan to basically not do any cardio or weight lifting for a very long time! I will switch over to dance and yoga. My question is, how can I make sure I gain the weight back in the right places, and encourage my hormone levels to switch back over to very feminine?
Davilee
(Login Davi-lee)
Im very sorry to break-in but....
August 23 2007, 8:33 AM
Thanks Waxingmoon for that info,Ive been looking for some corroboration for something that Ive read around.
So, does PROG. multiply estrogen receptors also?
Heres cheers for ya to get back some of what ya lost,Jane.
Your body should start reverting back to normal shape if not to stressed out.