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.
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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 ***.
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 ***.
