I am 49 and just entering menopause and have noticed that my muscle mass is depleting( and unfortunately slowly being replace by fat cells). I swim about 15000 ( 3000 5 days per week) meters a week and lift weights 2-3 days per week. My last meet was horrible and wonder if my poor performance is linked to this loss of muscle. I am not taking hormone replacement therapy because I don't have the other nasty symptoms of night sweats and hot flashes. My only other complaint is not sleeping well. (awake at 2 a.m. and have trouble returning to sleep).
My question to you women who have already come out the other side is really this- menopause is here to stay, no way around that. But does that mean I have to swim so poorly?? Obviously there are still 45-55 year old women who are still quite fast. Would horomone replacement therapy help me there? When lifting weights, should I do more weight and less repetition? Should I cut my yardage some so that I have more rest?
I know there was an article on this in Swim magazine, but it didn't address these specific questions. Thanks for any input.
I have had some questions along these lines also. Mary Pohlmann- if you are out there, has any of your research shown any data/info that would help in response?
Originally posted by laineybug
This will be a very interesting thread for the women over 50. I have the sleep problems too. My doc thinks swimming in the evening is too stimulating and that may be part of the sleep problem. He told me to swim in the morning. Only problem the pool doesn't open early enough for me to swim more than 30 minutes! I haven't followed his advice on that. Recently there have been weeks when I couldn't get to the pool, so I'm pretty sure it isn't the swimming that is keeping me awake. I have trouble falling and staying asleep even when I don't swim in the evenings. I tried HRT hoping that would solve the sleep problem... no improvement... so I'm no longer doing that. As for muscle mass, I saw an improvement in my muscle mass when I started swimming, doing deep water aerobics/weights and taking CLA. (Oh boy I've openned the worm can again)
Not just for those over 50, because we all will be there sooner or later.
I have some sleep issues too, and attribute it to peri-menopause(only 43). I also take CLA, but don't know if it helps muscle mass as I have always been muscular. Maybe I should start having my muscle evaluated each year and see if there is a big difference after 50. I do know I get sorer easier now.
Former Member
This will be a very interesting thread for the women over 50. I have the sleep problems too. My doc thinks swimming in the evening is too stimulating and that may be part of the sleep problem. He told me to swim in the morning. Only problem the pool doesn't open early enough for me to swim more than 30 minutes! I haven't followed his advice on that. Recently there have been weeks when I couldn't get to the pool, so I'm pretty sure it isn't the swimming that is keeping me awake. I have trouble falling and staying asleep even when I don't swim in the evenings. I tried HRT hoping that would solve the sleep problem... no improvement... so I'm no longer doing that. As for muscle mass, I saw an improvement in my muscle mass when I started swimming, doing deep water aerobics/weights and taking CLA. (Oh boy I've openned the worm can again)
Former Member
Originally posted by phm41
I Would horomone replacement therapy help me there?
The doctor prescribed HRT to help prevent osteoporosis. I tried it for a couple of months and found that I felt really blah for two weeks out of every month. It was PMS all over again. Who needs THAT? Getting rid of PMS is one of the benefits!!
Former Member
Well, the changes have effective me a little more than you. And I'm only 47 and going to turn 48 in a couple of months. When I rejoin swimming at 45 I slowed down a lot. I swim the same speed I did at 12 years old not 15 years old. I can't stand swimming as much yardage as you do. I'm also over 30 pounds over weight which might explain my problems besides heading toward menopause. I have sweated at nite and have had hot flashes out recently and the last 5 months my periods have been more illregular. Yeah, there are many women that can swim 2 to 5 seconds close to their teen times on 100 yards, on the other hand there are others like myself that are between 15 to 25 seconds slower depending the stroke. I do better in meters, only 13 seconds slower in the 100 meter ***.
Former Member
Well, the changes have effective me a little more than you. And I'm only 47 and going to turn 48 in a couple of months. When I rejoin swimming at 45 I slowed down a lot. I swim the same speed I did at 12 years old not 15 years old. I can't stand swimming as much yardage as you do. I'm also over 30 pounds over weight which might explain my problems besides heading toward menopause. I have sweated at nite and have had hot flashes out recently and the last 5 months my periods have been more illregular. Yeah, there are many women that can swim 2 to 5 seconds close to their teen times on 100 yards, on the other hand there are others like myself that are between 15 to 25 seconds slower depending the stroke. I do better in meters, only 13 seconds slower in the 100 meter ***.
Jani- do you attribute staying in good shape to taking HRT or to all the work you do with weights/running/biking?
Former Member
I am 55 (56 in 3 weeks) and started menopause at an early age (38 or 39) complete with hot flashes and night sweats which were severe and lasted several years. I had a vaginal hysterectomy when I was 41 (unrelated to menopause). I started taking estrogen then and am still taking it. I plan to keep taking it. When I was 42 I was probably in the best shape of my life and I have been a life long athlete. I have lost little to no muscle mass but I work out a lot. I lift weights, run and ride in addition to swimming. I do find it takes longer to recover and I am slowing down a little which is most likely age related.
Former Member
It's nice to see all the different ways of this. I'm 46 and guessing I'm in the peri phase (does anyone know if headaches are a sympton?). I suffer from sleeplessness, but I attribute that to my schedule more than anything (I work until 1 a.m. and have to get up at 7:30 to get my son to school). As far as swimming goes, I got back into actual training last summer and I found my times dropping dramatically. Prior to this I was just getting in and swimming a 1500 four to five times a week. But sometimes I am just wasted for the rest of the day. Is that a muscle fatigue thing? If I could I'd swim later at night on my days off and take advantage of that exhaustion, but there isn't daycare at the club then. I don't think I'm experiening a muscle loss, though, but maybe I am.
