I think there are many female friends who have personally experienced or heard about the disorder of the menstrual cycle due to fat loss, short-term calorie reduction, long-term low-carb diet, overtraining, or other reasons. Even amenorrhea… In the end, I didn’t lose much fat, but made my physical fitness worse. We often say that losing fat for men is easy, but losing fat for women is a technical task, and it is a thing that requires more attention to science and not reckless. Today’s topic is to talk about why some women lose fat can lead to menstrual disorders, and give some suggestions for improvement.
Female cycle
A woman’s menstrual cycle is a series of changes that women experience during pregnancy. A woman’s ovaries release an egg each month, while hormonal changes in the body prepare the uterus. The hypothalamus of the human body is equivalent to the commander-in-chief role in the entire menstrual cycle of women. The hypothalamus triggers the pituitary gland to produce two hormones: follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) according to physical changes. When these two hormones reach the ovaries, they then make estrogen and progesterone, which thicken the lining of the uterus in preparation for pregnancy. If the egg is not fertilized at this point, hormone levels drop and the lining of the uterus sheds, a process called menstruation. During the whole process, the normal functioning of the hypothalamus and the ability to receive accurate signals is one of the key points in the stability of the physiological cycle.
Cause analysis of menstrual disorders and suggestions for improvement
Let’s analyze from the perspective of fat reduction, why do menstrual disorders lead to menstrual disorders during fat reduction? How it affects the hypothalamus. Generally speaking, there are four main reasons:
Eating disorders
Excessive exercise
Emotional stress
Low body fat or underweight
First, eating disorders
Cause Analysis
Eating disorders may be the most common cause of menstrual disorders, usually In terms of performance, there are three aspects: one is to significantly reduce calories in the short term, such as dieting, the second is a long-term low-carb diet, and the third is malnutrition, such as limited fat intake. The first two are menstrual disorders caused by severe calorie deficit, because calorie deficit leads to a serious imbalance of hormones in our body, such as leptin, insulin and thyroid hormones. Leptin is produced from fat and acts on the hypothalamus. It is an indicator of long-term energy storage in adipose tissue, while insulin is greatly affected by carbohydrates and is a signal of short-term energy status. At the same time, insulin levels, that is, carbohydrates High or low intake also affects thyroid hormones, which are one of the most critical hormones that affect our body’s metabolism. When the calorie intake is low for a long time or the fat intake is low, the above three hormones will determine their secretion levels according to the state of the body’s intake of energy, and then transmit the signal to the hypothalamus whether it can produce sex hormones.
and malnutrition, it is because of insufficient daily dietary calories and a large reduction in fat intake, resulting in a lack of fat-soluble vitamins. In particular, the fat-soluble vitamins A, D and K are essential for women’s physical and reproductive health, and severe vitamin D deficiency can lead to amenorrhea. Other conditions, such as anorexia nervosa or overeating, may also cause problems in the human hypothalamus, or malnutrition, etc., resulting in disordered menstrual cycles.
Suggestions for improvement
The most simple and direct way is to increase the caloric intake of the three major nutrients. Substantial calorie reduction diets or long-term low-carb diets to reduce fat while ensuring a balanced diet. For fat loss, it is recommended that the initial calorie deficit be set between 300 and 500 kcal. At the same time, the intake ratio of the three major nutrients, carbohydrates, protein and fat should be well planned. For example, carbohydrates account for 45~500 calories of the whole day. About 55%, protein can account for 20~30%, and fat 20~25%. When losing fat, you must pay attention to the intake of carbohydrates and high-quality fat, especially for women, it is very important to maintain the balance of the physiological cycle. Don’t simply think that you will lose weight if you eat less, and your health is also very important when losing fat. Of course, there are two points to be noted here: First, if the menstrual period disorder is serious, it is still necessary to go to the doctor and listen to the doctor’s relevant advice. Second, increasing calorie intake cannot fix the problem overnight and make menstrual periods return to normal. It usually takes 2 to 3 months to return to normal periods.
Furthermore, each person has a unique set point in their body, and because of this point, it determines It is impossible for a human body to gain or lose weight indefinitely. It also determines the amount of carbohydrates required by the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian (HPO) axis under healthy conditions. The HPO axis can be simply understood as responsible for the regulation of human sex hormones. Because of this, low carbohydrates or insufficient calories will cause the HPO axis to respond and affect the production of sex hormones. At the same time, it also shows a problem, because everyone’s set point is different, so some people can reduce fat and low carbon, while some people are more sensitive to carbohydrates.
Second, Excessive or Excessive Exercise
Cause Analysis
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When we lose fat, we usually cooperate with corresponding exercise in addition to diet in order to speed up fat loss. When we exercise, our bodies release certain hormones, such as endorphins, which make us feel pain and happiness, and catecholamines. If we exercise more intensely or for a long time, these hormone levels will be continuously released or cannot be receded in the body for a long time after exercise. The increased concentration of endorphins and the release of catecholamines can make the human body excited and tense. This stress state interferes with the connection between the central nervous system and the hypothalamus, thereby affecting the hypothalamus-pituitary-ovary (HPO) The normal working state of the axis, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) are suppressed, and menstruation begins to become irregular. In real life, menstrual disorders caused by exercise are relatively common.
Suggestions for improvement
It usually happens to women who have no experience of exercising or who have just started exercising Relatively more, it shows that the holiday time is delayed or early, due to low estrogen levels, the skin loses its elasticity, dryness, and irritability. It can be adjusted by reducing exercise intensity or increasing nutritional supplementation and calorie intake, as well as increasing the adaptability of the body. Generally speaking, it will automatically return to normal within 2 to 3 months. When supplementing the diet, it is also important to emphasize a balanced diet, especially through dietary supplementation of calcium, magnesium and vitamin D to prevent the reduction of bone density in women.
At the same time, the training idea should be correct. It is suggested that beginners should put the quality of motion and the accuracy of the pattern in the first place. The loading of exercise load should be placed in a secondary position and should be carried out step by step. At the same time, pay attention to rest and recovery. Do not blindly train or increase strength. Exercise is more of a way of life, and the continuity of exercise in the early stage of beginners is more meaningful for the development of good living habits. Women with sports experience may experience periods due to excessive training or low body fat rate and insufficient calorie intake, which may lead to interruption of menstruation. At this time, it is recommended to consult a doctor, because it may also be accompanied by other physical symptoms problem arises.
Third, emotional stress
Cause analysis
With the development of modern society, stress is everywhere, especially chronic stress. When the human body is under chronic stress, even if you are not dieting or exercising excessively, it is possible to have menstrual disorders, such as high work pressure, anxiety and anxiety, which will affect the normal physiological cycle. The reason is that chronic stress makes you produce a hormone called the stress hormone cortisol, which acts on every cell in the body, and when cortisol is secreted in excess, it can seriously affect the body’s hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal glands (HPA) axis, making the hypothalamus amenorrhea, directly and indirectly affecting the hypothalamus-pituitary-ovarian (HPO) axis, making the secretion of female female hormones, such as luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), estrogen, Both progesterone and testosterone secretion levels become extremely low, leading to disruption of the menstrual cycle. When persistent chronic stress occurs, the human body does not care about the normal work of reproductive and digestive systems, but focuses on survival first, so the functions of many biochemical systems are left behind.
Suggestions for improvement
During fat loss, a reasonable calorie and dietary structure are the prerequisites, and an appropriate amount of Exercise, and then pay special attention to regular and adequate sleep throughout the fat loss period. Sleep is the ability to adjust the body’s stress levels to the greatest extent possible. Because the growth hormone, estrogen and testosterone hormones, which can reduce the stress hormone cortisol and are conducive to fat loss during sleep, will also be adjusted and released accordingly. During the recovery period after training, you can also do some physical and mental exercises such as stretching, outdoor activities, yoga and meditation to reduce the stress level in the body. In addition to a balanced diet, you should also consume more ingredients high in vitamin C. Vitamin C supplementation can effectively reduce inflammation in the body and relieve stress levels.
Fourth, low body fat or low body weight
Cause analysis
This usually occurs in women who lose fat with a small base weight. It may be due to differences in aesthetics or excessive pursuit of so-called thinness. Even if the BMI is up to standard, it still pursues the number of weight. In such a case, due to the limited energy reserves of the body, coupled with inattentive diet or excessive training, it will cause irregularities in the physiological cycle. Another reason is that fat mass is also closely related to estrogen secretion.
We said earlier that the ovaries produce estrogen, but many people don’t know that adipose tissue also produces estrogen. When your body fat is too low or your body weight is too low, the ovaries reduce estrogen production, which affects ovulation and normal menstrual cycles. On the other hand, if you are overweight or obese, fat tissue also produces too much estrogen, preventing normal ovulation. Only normal body weight data can balance female hormone levels and ovulate normally, while too low or too much adipose tissue can disrupt the balance of the menstrual cycle.
Suggestions for improvement
Aesthetics is not a good suggestion, but from a health perspective , It is not recommended to be too thin and at the same time want women to have more muscle mass and a certain proportion of fat. In this way, not only the female hormone secretion is normal, but also because of the increase in muscle mass, the body lines are more beautiful, and the bone density will be healthier (women have a higher probability of osteoporosis than men, one of which is caused by the lack of muscle mass). Adjusting aesthetic concepts and lifestyles in a timely manner and keeping one’s body mass index within the normal range of 18-24 is one of the most important aspects to achieve stable female hormone laws and good health. Of course, BMI is not an absolute indicator, but it is still instructive for most people.
The above four situations are the most common causes of menstrual disorders. When there is a problem, it is unlikely to be a single factor, usually a superposition of multiple factors. . On the surface it looks like an unstable menstrual cycle, but it actually brings many cascading problems, such as emotional anxiety, anemia, hair loss, fatigue, chronic pain, digestive problems, and slow heartbeat, which seriously affect physical health. Therefore, scientific fat loss and good living habits are the comprehensive guarantee for good health.
Conclusion
In the process of losing fat, I often say something to my friends who lose fat: Quickly It’s slow, slow is fast. It may seem like a simple word, but it is vividly reflected in the matter of fat loss. Especially for women to lose fat, don’t forget their own health level in order to pursue a temporary speed. If you put the cart before the horse, with the passage of time, there is a high probability that it will go back to where it came from, and the level of physical fitness and metabolism will be destroyed, which will make it more difficult to lose fat again. This increase in difficulty is psychological and Physiologically manifested. Therefore, women need to pay more attention to scientificity in losing fat. The more you know about sports science, the more conducive to the realization of your own goals. The harder you work, the luckier you get. Let’s cheer and encourage each other.