Women’s training – what should you pay attention to?

Women may be more susceptible to the negative effects of poor nutrition when exercising, having too low body fat levels or generally having a very active lifestyle. It is worth being aware of the risks associated with significantly increasing the volume, intensity and frequency of training, and trying to counteract their negative consequences.

Sufficient power supply

Many women start exercising to reduce body weight, fat tissue and improve the appearance of their figure. This is often combined with diet changes and calorie restriction. Wanting to achieve their dream figure as quickly as possible, many women decide on a very large energy deficit, combining reduced energy consumption and high energy expenditure during training.

However, chronically low levels of energy availability can be dangerous. In addition to insufficient provision of macro- and microelements, a sharp deficit of kilocalories itself poses a great threat. In addition to visual side effects such as hair loss, brittle nails and muscle loss, there may be other serious health consequences.

These include:

• hormonal changes;
• menstrual irregularities;
• decreased fertility;
• decreased bone mass;
• increased susceptibility to fractures and so on.

Therefore, it is worthwhile to accurately determine your energy needs (for example, with the help of a nutritionist) or try to intuitively adjust the required amount of food through trial and error. The energy expended during exercise should be taken into account.

Of course, losing weight requires an energy deficit. However, it cannot be too big. Optimal weight loss is approximately 0.5-1.0 kg of body weight per week, while body weight should be within the normal range (BMI).

The Need for Dietary Fats

Some people believe that fats are harmful and should be eaten as little as possible. This is not true at all! Fats are an important macronutrient necessary for the synthesis of hormones, including sex hormones. Excluding them from the diet can lead to menstrual irregularities, decreased fertility, poor health and many other disorders.

Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat soluble, meaning they must be consumed with fat so the body can absorb them. These vitamins play a key role in many processes, such as maintaining healthy skin, vision, immunity and blood clotting. A very low-fat diet may contribute to deficiencies of these vitamins.

Body fat percentage too low

There are no specific ranges for the optimal amount of muscle tissue or intensity or frequency of physical activity in women. Every woman has different “limits” that determine whether her body fat amount is good or too low.

Therefore, you should watch your body, which itself gives signals when something is wrong. In the case of, for example, hair loss, constant feeling of fatigue, lengthening of the menstrual cycle and other symptoms, it is worth taking a closer look at yourself and your behavior in order to avoid negative health consequences.