If you’re an athlete, your hormone levels are crucial to your performance and overall health! Imbalances in your hormone levels can negatively impact your recovery, short- and long-term performance, and mental health. Young athletes in a developmental growing phase should focus special attention on ensuring their hormone levels are optimal, especially before competing at the next level. And yes – this applies to both male and female athletes!
Wondering about your hormone health? Here are the 5 labs we recommend getting tested.
- Vitamin D
- Thyroid Hormones T3 & T4
- Folate
- Progesterone
- Lipid Panel
Are you at risk? Ask yourself the following questions:
- Do I skip meals?
- Am I eating red meat?
- Do you have a very high training volume?
- Do I follow a vegan diet?
- Are you an endurance athlete?
Worried you have hormonal imbalances? Here are 5 common symptoms:
- Low energy – not only in training, but during daily life activities
- Hair thinning and/or falling out. You might see more hair falling out in the shower or extra hair in your brush; thinning hair is usually most obvious on the arms and head.
- Poor sleep quality & inability to stay asleep
- Poor recovery. This could present as unusual fatigue, extreme soreness, or persistent soreness.
- Loss of period (women, see amenorrhea blog post) or symptoms of low testosterone (men)
Consequences of hormonal imbalances:
- Decrease in bone mineral density → increased risk of injury & stress fractures
- Continued loss of menses (women) or prolonged low testosterone (men)
- Impaired fertility
- Cognitive deficits & mental health issues. These could present as inability to concentrate in class or during conversations with friends, as well as depressive symptoms.
- Impaired recovery and poor performance
REMEMBER: the solution to hormonal imbalances is NOT always supplementation or a medical remedy. Work with a Registered Dietitian to implement a food-first approach before relying on supplements. Female athletes, NEVER use birth control as a means of regaining your period – this does NOT fix the underlying issues!!
Athletes – take charge of your health today! Your hormone health is KEY in determining your overall athletic performance, so don’t wait!
Have more questions? We have answers!
- If you are looking for a team talk or presentation fill out our contact form to set up a FREE 15-min call HERE. Check out our performance nutrition partnership HERE.
- Health and performance guidebook that has over 170 resources including meal plans and tip sheets HERE.
- Take our FREE health assessment to see if you’re a good fit for our family or student-athlete nutrition coaching programs.Click here
Wendi A. Irlbeck, MS, RDN, LD, CISSN
*Book a free call with a NWW sports dietitian
*Get in touch with Wendi for a team talk or partnership
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