"The Change"

[DeeLee]

Aka menopause...

Thought I would add to the female/masters population questions. At 47 years old, the odds are this will happen to me in the next 5 years or so. It feels like a looming deadline of uncertain date.

Have you coached anyone through this time and, if so, what should I expect? I started training to get stronger only about 2.5 years ago, and am happy with both the process and my progress so far. But does require advanced programming now (by someone much, much smarter than I am), and I'm afraid even these slow gains will come to a screeching halt. Hopefully, you will tell me this is not the case.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts on this, as well as for your books. I bought PP to become a better trainee, and Strong Enough because it was the only other ebook of yours. Grim determination, indeed, Coach.

[Mark Rippetoe]

I have not noticed any catastrophic destruction due to menopause. Look on the bright side: as your estrogen goes away, testosterone will become the dominant hormone.

[jep6095]

We have a lifter at WFAC who is going through "the change." She just PR'd her deadlift and is competing in next weeks Highlander Games event in Wichita Falls where she's sure to kick ass. Don't fret. Work hard and have a fan handy for the sweats.

jp

[DeeLee]

Well that conjured up an image of being weak, only with chin and ear hairs, that made me choke on my coffee.

But seriously, most descriptions of the effect of aging with respect to strength training discuss men and their slow decline in testosterone. Women experience a more precipitous hormonal change, and I was curious whether, in your experience, this translates into a more rapid decline in strength and training capacity. Certainly studies show that untrained postmenopausal women will benefit and get stronger from weight training, but I do not plan to enter that phase of my life untrained.

[Mark Rippetoe]

And seriously, when the estrogen hormones drop off quickly, testosterone stuff is what's left. You do know that you're producing some test, right?

[Carlos Daniel]

Not to mention other androgens produced by the adrenals. I don't think those are affected by menopause at all.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Those are the ones I'm referring to.

[Grumpypeon]

Rip, I made a thread about this subject in another forum, but do you have any idea if medium-intensity resistance training actually increases levels of estrogen and progesterone in menopausal / post-menopausal women?

[Mark Rippetoe]

I have no idea. But DHEA is available.

[UberBabs]

Maybe it's just me, but when I was in my 30s I had very high testosterone for a gal and after menopause it plummeted to virtually nil. So I've been on HRT with an anti-aging doc for about three years. Not yet as strong as back in the day, but getting there so long as I can avoid injury (which is a whole 'nother story).