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The Endometriosis. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here. View references caret icon. Join the conversation Log in or create an account to comment. Community Poll Has anyone ever said the following to you about your endometriosis?
You're being dramatic. It's all in your head. It's just cramps. Get pregnant and your endo will go away. Do some yoga. Just have a hysterectomy. It is speculated that the increase in abdominal pressure associated with some types of exercise may cause bleeding from submucosal uterine fibroids , endometrial polyps, and cervical polyps. Even though exercise is generally good for you, the physiologic stress of strenuous exercise can interrupt the balance of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis in some people.
The hypothalamus is a structure in your brain that acts as the control center for your menstrual cycle. It sends hormonal messages to your pituitary gland and your ovaries, which in turn trigger ovulation. If this communication gets interrupted as the result of a physiologic stressor, like strenuous exercise or significant weight loss, you will not ovulate.
If you do not ovulate, the changes that trigger your menstruation will not happen and you will miss your period. An extreme form of exercise-induced amenorrhea is known as the female athlete triad. The combination of intense strenuous exercise and low caloric intake puts significant stress on the young athlete's body.
In response to this physiologic stress, the hypothalamus turns down its stimulation of the ovaries. Eventually, ovulation stops, along with the athlete's periods. Over time, her ovaries slow down hormonal production, resulting in the dropping of her estrogen level, which in turn causes bone loss along with other negative health consequences. The female athlete triad is not only common among young athletes but also among young female ballet dancers, especially teenagers who are training hard while trying to maintain a low body weight for the sake of fitting in with the aesthetics of the art form.
Don't be alarmed if you notice that your periods become a bit lighter once you start a regular exercise routine. The same hormonal changes that can stop your periods altogether can exert a weaker effect on your body and lead to a lighter flow. Another possible change that may contribute to a lighter flow is the moderate weight loss that can come with regular exercise.
Body fat or adipose tissue actually produces a type of estrogen. Excess estrogen in your body can cause the lining of your uterus to build up more than usual during the first half of your cycle.
The thicker the lining, the heavier your menstrual flow. With weight loss , you in effect decrease the amount of estrogen in your body, which in turn decreases the cyclic buildup of the lining of your uterus.
A thinner lining means decreased flow. There are two distinct types of period pain. Whether exercise helps or not depends on the cause of your pain. Primary dysmenorrhea is a painful period with no identifiable underlying cause. Often it goes away by the time you are in your 20s. It is likely that exercise can help reduce this type of painful period.
It is thought that the subtle hormonal changes associated with regular exercise may decrease the concentration of prostaglandins in the lining of your uterus. Prostaglandins are inflammatory substances produced in your body that are responsible for causing uterine muscle contractions and cramps. That is why pain medications that block the production of prostaglandins like ibuprofen and NSAIDs work best to treat menstrual cramps.
Decreasing the concentration of prostaglandins decreases period cramping. However, clinical studies of this hypothesis have not been robust enough to reach a conclusion as to whether exercise helps or not. Hormonal Imbalance Another possible reason for spotting mid cycle could be a hormonal imbalance.
When you are exercising, you're putting your body through vigorous activity that leads to the production of certain hormones that may cause a hormonal imbalance, which then causes spotting. Infection You may not be aware that you're suffering from infection in the vagina or cervix, and the exercise exacerbates the condition, causing you to experience light brown spotting after exercise. Near a New Cycle If you are engaged in some kind of strenuous and vigorous exercising when you're close to a new menstrual cycle, spotting can occur.
However, there is nothing to worry about, because that is normal. Menopause If you are age 40 to 50, going through a menopause phase, and are working out in the gym regularly, or you're involved in strenuous physical activity, then light spotting is likely to happen after the exercise routine.
What Will the Spotting Be Like? What to Do The best thing to do is to ease up on the workouts. When to Worry Spotting after exercise is considered normal following changes to exercise routines or after a particularly vigorous workout; however, there may be times when it could be signs of something worse.
If it is bright red or of a quantity similar to the flow of a regular day during your menstrual cycle, it needs to be checked out as soon as possible.
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Share on Pinterest. How exercise can cause irregular periods. Your period is a vital sign — especially of bone health. How to tell that you may be experiencing amenorrhea. Recovery is possible. Written by Christine Yu — Updated on August 2,
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