Women’s Health Week Lookback
This year 4Five+ celebrated Women’s Health Week with talks on two important topics: nutrition and heart health.
Accredited Practicing Dietitian and Sports Dietitian Mel Raybould of Fuel for Life hosted the Fuel for Success workshop, timed to coincide with preparation for spring cycling endurance events such as the Tour of Margaret River road race and the Cape to Cape mountain bike race.
Mel discussed a two-pronged nutrition strategy: everyday nutrition for active peri & post menopausal women, and training/competition fueling requirements.
Changing sex hormones during the menopausal transition can lead to physiological changes such as increased risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, shifts in body composition, reduced diversity of gut microbiome, cognitive decline, and sarcopenia. The good news is the impact of these physiological changes can be reduced with good nutrition. Everyday health and wellbeing for active women can be supported by :
Protein: 1.8-2g/kg/day
Fibre: 25-35g/day
Carbohydrates: 2-3.5g/kg depending on training day (low GI for everyday, high GI for performance)
EFA (Omega 3’s): 2g/day
Calcium: 1300mg/day
To optimize performance, your fuel source (carbohydrate) and the quantity will depend on the duration & intensity of session. This could be gels, chews, liquid, or real food. You may need ~30-60g carbohydrate/hour, and sometimes more for sessions >2hours. It is important to practice race day nutrition to train your gut - both for the type of food and volume of carbohydrate.
Hydration should also be an important part of your event fuelling strategy. Everyone is different, but as a general guide:
Based on fluid loss OR 8-10mL/kg/hr
Aim to replenish ~70%
+ electrolytes: Sodium 360-450mg/500mL
4Five+ members can view Mel’s detailed presentation with more information in the website Members’ Area, or contact Mel at Nutrition for Life for specific help.
4Five+ AC, Triathlon WA, Perth Triathlon Club and Stellar Cardiology collaborated to present Heart2Heart, a seminar about women’s heart health, with a focus on considerations for active women. It was a fantastic opportunity for female athletes to ask cardiologist Dr Richard Alcock questions, and to learn about cardiovascular disease (CVD) risks and management strategies.
“Cardiovascular disease kills more women than all forms of cancer combined and yet only 44% of women recognize that cardiovascular disease is their greatest health threat.”
Exercise is great for heart health, however endurance athletes are not immune from CVD, and actually face some increased risk of conditions such as atrial fibrillation compared to the general population.
Jean Hailes for Health states that women’s CVD risk increases after menopause. As women age and their oestrogen levels fall, their risk of CVD increases. For example, women may have:
higher blood pressure
higher total cholesterol
higher ‘bad’ cholesterol
lower ‘good’ cholesterol
higher blood fats such as triglycerides.
Women who gain excess weight around the stomach at this time may also have an increased risk of CVD.
Women are 50% more likely to get the wrong diagnosis when they have a heart attack, and they have a 70% higher risk of dying.
—> This is why it is important for you to know your risk factor and symptoms.
You can work out your cardiovascular disease risk factor HERE
Classic symptoms:
Chest pain: Also described as tightness, crushing pressure, squeezing, aching, and tightness. (If you have chest pain during exercise that stops when you stop exercising, get that checked asap.)
Radiating pain or discomfort: Be alert to any pain or discomfort in your upper body, especially if it is radiating through your shoulders or jaw, neck and arms. Some people also experience back pain.
Cold sweating: Breaking out in a cold sweat (as opposed to a hot flash), where you start perspiring for seemingly no reason, is another classic heart attack alarm.
Non-classic symptoms, often experienced by women:
Shortness of breath: If you find yourself breathless doing everyday tasks like taking the stairs or carrying groceries, don’t blow it off. That’s a serious warning sign.
Weakness: Unexplained weakness in your arms or legs can be a symptom of blockages that lead to a heart attack. If you suddenly feel inexplicably weak or shaky, don’t ignore it.
Nausea or vomiting: Pain or pressure in your stomach and/or nausea and vomiting is another overlooked symptom of a heart attack.
Dizziness or lightheadedness: Unexplained dizziness is another sign, again because of lack of blood flow.
Unexplained fatigue: Feeling overwhelmingly fatigued from daily activity like making the bed is a big red flag.
For those who would like to explore these topics more, check out the resources below…these are just a few…
Read:
Fuel for Success presentation, Mel Raybould - 4Five+ Members Only Page
Training Peaks: An Athlete’s Guide to Dealing With Menopause (with a whole bunch of research articles referenced for further reading)
Jean Hailes for Women’s Health: Nutrition & Healthy Living
Sims ST, Kerksick CM, Smith-Ryan AE, Janse de Jonge XAK, Hirsch KR, Arent SM, Hewlings SJ, Kleiner SM, Bustillo E, Tartar JL, Starratt VG, Kreider RB, Greenwalt C, Rentería LI, Ormsbee MJ, VanDusseldorp TA, Campbell BI, Kalman DS, Antonio J. International society of sports nutrition position stand: nutritional concerns of the female athlete. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2023 Dec;20(1):2204066. doi: 10.1080/15502783.2023.2204066. PMID: 37221858; PMCID: PMC10210857.
5 Life Saving Heart Health Steps Menopausal Women Should Know
Jean Hailes for Women’s Health: Cardiovascular Disease
Drca N, Larsson SC, Grannas D, et al. Elite female endurance athletes are at increased risk of atrial fibrillation compared to the general population: a matched cohort study. British Journal of Sports Medicine 2023;57:1175-1179. https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/57/18/1175
Castelletti S, Gati S. The Female Athlete's Heart: Overview and Management of Cardiovascular Diseases. Eur Cardiol. 2021 Dec 2;16:e47. doi: 10.15420/ecr.2021.29. PMID: 34950243; PMCID: PMC8674625. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8674625/
Listen:
What's inside your coronary arteries
Cardiovascular Disease & Brain Aging During Menopause with Rebecca Thurston, PhD
Saving Your Heart with Martha Gulati, MD
Keep Your Active Heart Healthy with Dr. Tamanna Singh
Sports Nutrition & Supplements – What Menopausal Women Really Need with Abbie Smith-Ryan, PhD
Less Fuel, More Problems. Why Menopausal Athletes Need to Eat More with Heidi Skolnik
Many thanks to Mel Raybould Fuel for Life and Dr Richard Alcock Stellar Cardiology for donating their time and expertise to speak about these important health topics.
