Dealing with Female Triad in Marathon Training

Marathon training is such a unique and physically demanding sport activity that can be fun or disappointing. Though there are several factors that can determine your outcome, the main factor the type of marathon training plan or program you are using. Men and women face similar challenges in marathon training, but there are additional hurdles that women deal with. Female triad has been known to significantly affect both training and performance in women running marathon. In case you are wondering, female triad is made up of Osteoporosis, Eating Disorders, and Amenorrhea. These three female problems can be easily managed with reliable good planning. In this article I will explain 4 simple tips that can help you deal with the female triad in marathon training.

First let me briefly explain what each of the components of the female triad before giving you simple tips to deal with them.

Osteoporosis: This is simply the loss of bone mass due to insufficient essential minerals such as calcium. This condition is common with mature women than younger ones, but research has shown that even girls with poor diet are known to develop osteoporosis. So how does this affect marathon training? Well, when you lose your bone mass, your bones becomes weaker and more fragile in the process. Your body will also try to take calcium from other parts to compensate and this can create even more deficiency.

Eating Disorders: Though this is also found in men, it is more common with female population. The two main types of eating disorders associated with women running marathon are Bulimia and Anorexia. Eating disorders are known to begin as early as when one is a teenager and if not treated in a timely manner can seriously affect all other aspects of life. Eating disorders are related to poor diets and in most cases result in extreme loss of body mass. Your body losses muscles and as a result your become physically weak. For marathon training, this is not a good thing!

Amenorrhea: This is the loss of or experiencing of irregular menstrual periods in women. In other words, the menstrual cycle may change from the normal one month to as late as four months. Amenorrhea is common with women who are involved in endurance sports especially women running marathon. This condition is accelerated by poor nutrition and supplements.

4 Effective Ways of Dealing with the Female Triad in Marathon Training:

1. Good Nutrition and Supplements boost Marathon Training and prevents Female Triad

A good balanced diet is crucial for optimal performance in any sport. Women running marathon require essential supplements such as calcium, iron, potassium and zinc in addition to good nutrition. These supplements will go a long way in not only preventing osteoporosis and amenorrhea, but also improve training and performance in marathon running. Marathon running demands enormous amount of energy and lack of it will force the body to eat into your muscle reserve!

2. Strength and Exercise Training

Though running in marathon training is important, strength exercises are as important. Strength training is crucial for stronger bone development. Remember osteoporosis is caused by loss of bone mass which results in weak bones. Therefore to prevent bone loss, you need to do some specific bone strengthening exercises such as squats. If done correctly, squats are sufficient. Of course you will still need calcium supplements for better results. Strength exercises are great for preventing other running related injuries such as knee pain and Achilles tendonitis as well.

3. Good Recovery during and after Marathon Training

The main result why most marathon runners get hurt is because of overtraining. In other words, they train hard too quickly without adequate recovery breaks. In case you don’t know, good recovery is important in rebuilding the damaged muscle tissues and cells. It is crucial for adaptation which the whole reason for any kind of training. You can only improve in your performance if you allow your body to adapt to the new level of the training you are doing. There is no need to increase training if your body has not adjusted to it, it will breakdown. With good recovery, your body will adapt faster and consequently your performance will improve significantly. It is important to remember that recovery include both within a marathon training session and also after the session.

Recovery also means replenishing your body with essential nutrients to replace what was lost during training. When replenishing, timing is crucial. For better recovery, you should start refueling as early as 30 – 45 minutes after your marathon training session. Research has shown that the best absorption of nutrients takes place during this window. This does not necessarily mean you eat a whole meal, but rather something light such as an energy shake that has some potassium, calcium, iron, protein and carbohydrates. There are good shake mixes with these essential elements available in sport nutrition stores, just carry some in your bag when you go for your training.

4. Follow a Good Marathon Training Plan or Program

There are several marathon training programs available online today, but most of them are not reliable. You can read elsewhere on this site about what to look for in a good marathon program. If you follow the tips above, and follow your program sincerely, you shouldn’t have any problems with maximizing potential and achieving your marathon running goals. If you are a beginner and wondering where to get a good marathon training plan, you can try this one, I have used it as a coach and it works well for beginners… download and start marathon training the right way today.