Women are different to Men

 

It is great to see awareness is growing of the physiological differences between women and men. For too long the same approach has been applied with little consideration to a number of varying factors which can benefit women’s health and performance.

Being mindful of these factors means they can be used to your advantage as well as an understanding of why you may feel a certain way.

At DD Intentional Fitness, we encourage our female athletes to track their menstrual cycle. Tracking allows you to train with your physiology. We adjust your training and nutrition to account for your ability to respond to stress (i.e. recover) according to the monthly hormonal fluctuations of the menstrual cycle. Training with your physiology and not against it leads to improved health outcomes and improved performance whatever your goal, whether that be smashing your 5k PB, winning an Ironman or completing an ultra.

As a female, you can perform at your best on any day of your menstrual cycle. There may need to be strategies in place around hydration and fueling, and your best effort may feel harder (or easier!) depending on your hormonal status. But you can perform at your best regardless of where you are in your menstrual cycle. Ultimately, performance is the product of accumulated training stress and subsequent recovery. By adjusting your training with your cycle to take advantage of when your body is most resilient to stress, you can take your strength and endurance to the next level and improve performance.

Support at each life-stage
The approach adopted at DD Intentional Fitness is to educate and empower our athletes, providing you with the tools for a life-long relationship with training. The life-stages experienced by a female athlete from puberty, prememopausal, perimenopause and through to post-menopause, require different approaches to training and nutrition. Our individualised approach helps you understand your body and how hormonal changes influence its ability to recover from stress, so you can continue to perform at your best.

DD Intentional Fitness are proud to be part of The Well HQ community, supporting women through cutting-edge science, expertise and experience, in their own health, happiness and performance.