We hear a lot about testosterone in regards to men. But I’m going to address the part testosterone plays for female athletes. Specifically, I’ll outline how resistance training affects the female body and the best exercises you can do to optimize your testosterone.

RELATED: The Role of Testosterone for the Female Athlete

Untrained Females and Resistance Training

A study conducted by the European Journal of Applied Physiology set to investigate hormonal adaptation of acute resistance exercise, and determined whether these training adaptations are observed within an eight week period in untrained men and women. For our purposes, we are going to focus on mainly the women for this study.

“The results showed an increase in pre-exercise concentrations of testosterone in both men and women after both six and eight weeks of training.”

The protocol for this study consisted of a one-week pre-conditioning orientation phase, followed by eight weeks of heavy resistance training. Participants did three lower-limb exercises for the quadriceps femoris muscle group. These exercises were the squat, leg press, and knee/leg extension. These exercises were performed twice a week, with every other Wednesday used for one-rep max testing.

Blood samples were obtained pre-exercise (Pre-Ex), immediately post exercise (IP), and five minutes post exercise (5-P) during the first week of training (T-1) to determine blood concentrations of testosterone (TT). Blood was sampled again after six weeks (T-2) and eight weeks (T-3) of training.

The results showed an increase in pre-exercise concentrations of testosterone in both men and women after both six and eight weeks of training. This illustrates that untrained individuals may exhibit early-phase endocrine adaptations during a resistance training program.

RELATED: Ultimate Guide for Lean Gains, Part 2: Your Lifting Program

Endocrine adaptations are similar to muscular adaptations brought about by programming and exercise. An example of this would be subtle increases in testosterone over the course of a resistance training program that may help to mediate changes in protein synthesis, which then leads to increased muscle fiber size (this will be important later).

Resistance Training and Testosterone in Women

According to the Journal of Sports Medicine, testosterone is important for the desired adaptations to resistance exercise and training. Testosterone is considered a major promoter of muscle growth and the subsequent increase in muscle strength and response…in males.

RELATED: Science Takes a Look: Cardio First or Strength First?

As we know, acute endocrine response to heavy resistance exercises generally includes increased secretion of various anabolic hormones in men. Findings on women in regard to testosterone response have been ambiguous, with both increases and no changes observed in response to a bout of heavy resistance exercise. What can be said about testosterone for both men and women is that testosterone is an important modulator of muscle mass, and acute increases in testosterone can be induced by resistance exercise.

For women, remember, the key word is “can.” Many factors affect how women react to resistance training, including the program itself, the trainee’s age, and the movement efficiency of the female. In regard to programming in general, the variables within must be selected such that the resistance exercise session contains high volume and metabolic demand in order to induce an acute testosterone response.

“Doing too many metcons or HIIT sessions can cause issues and may even lower your testosterone, as well as many other metabolic hormones.”

How to Train for Higher Testosterone Levels in Females

Any strength cycle longer than eight weeks seems to be the precursor to endocrine adaptation for increased testosterone levels. You may start with lower testosterone levels in the beginning, but as you progress in your strength cycle, you should see elevations in testosterone in the second and third phases.

When I talk about “increases,” I mean increases in resting, free testosterone and elevations post-exercise. The catch is, of course, that you need to do this sort of programming correctly. Doing too many metcons or HIIT sessions can cause issues and may even lower your testosterone, as well as many other metabolic hormones.

Strength Exercises for Increasing Testosterone

• Squat– The basic squat uses several large muscles simultaneously. Any squat variation will increase your testosterone, including the front squat and hack squat.
• Leg Press and Leg Extension– If you use machines as part of your workout plan, the leg press and extension are movements that also incorporate your bigger leg musculature, which can increase your testosterone.
• Deadlift– Another multi-joint movement that uses the bigger muscles of the lower body.
• Olympic Lifts– In general, Olympic lifting will increase your testosterone and decrease your cortisol, if done correctly. Everything associated with the lifts, including the auxiliary workouts such as complexes, will help you with this. But it’s important to do complexes correctly and know they are there not just for conditioning purposes, but to work strength in each aspect of the movement.

RELATED: You Are Missing the Point With Your Complexes 

Your best chance for an increase in testosterone levels involves:

• Moderate weight during the training phases prescribing moderate reps and sets.
• A test week after each phase of your training.
• A deload week at the end of each cycle.
• Including days of pure strength work without metcons or HIIT workouts.

Plyometric Exercises for Increasing Testosterone

Plyometrics can also work to build your testosterone levels. If you are doing plyometric work, it’s best to combine resistance training of the upper body with plyometrics for the lower body.

“For females, programming is the key to finding the best hormonal balance and response.”

The general purpose of plyometrics is to increase the power of movements by using both the natural elastic components of muscle and tendon and the stretch reflex. Essentially, you are using elastic energy and more motor-recruitment patterns. We could write an entire book on plyometrics, but just know movements like the box jump can improve your testosterone and metabolic hormones.

Conclusion

Your best bet for increasing your testosterone response is a mixture of cardiovascular exercise, high intensity interval training, and resistance training. For females, programming is the key to finding the best hormonal balance and response. Improper programming can hinder hormonal responses in the female body.

References:

1. Kraemer, WJ. et. al. “The Effects of Short-Term Resistance Training on Endocrine Function in Men and Women.” The European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology (1998): 69-76, accessed November 11, 2014, doi: 10.1007/S004210050389

2. Vingren, JL. Et. al. “Testosterone Physiology in Resistance Exercise and Training: The Up-Stream Regulatory Elements.” The Journal of Sports Medicine (2010): 1037-53, accessed November 11, 2014, doi: 10.2165/11536910-000000000-00000.

3. Tate, P., Seely’s Principles of Anatomy and Physiology. (New York: McGraw Hill Companies, 2012), 37-38

4. Abrahams, P., How the Body Works. (New York: Metro Books, 2007), 263

5. Baechle, TR., and Earle, RW., Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning: Third Edition (Illinois: Human Kinetics, 2008), 414-415, 423

Photos courtesy of CrossFit Empirical.

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Please understand that research has no boundaries, and what follows is no exception. For the sake of comfort, support, and maximizing performance, let’s take a look at breast size and its effect on the active female.

A unique study performed in the United Kingdom sought to analyze differences in breast kinematics between breast cup sizes during running and the ability of breast and body size measurements to explain these differences (Kinematics is the study of the motion of a body or object and systems of bodies and objects). Forty-eight women participated in the study. Their mean age was 26 years, mean height was 5’ 5”, and mean weight was 138 pounds. Their chest girths ranged from 32 to 38 inches and bra cup size ranges from A to G.

Other measurements taken for the study included breast girths, a confidential anthropometric profile, suprasternal (the indention at the base of the neck between the clavicles) notch to nipple distance, and body mass index. Breast mass was based on an estimate.

Multiplanar relative breast displacement, velocity, and acceleration were recorded while the participants ran on a treadmill. Differences in breast kinematics were compared between cup sizes before and after allometric and polynomial scaling using major breast and body size measures (allometric refers to relative part size to entire organism and polynomial refers to the sum of algebraic terms).

Let’s cut to the quick. What did they find? All kinematic variables increased significantly with breast cup size. (Translation: bigger breasts moved faster and farther).

Bare-breasted displacements across A to G cups:

• Mean anterior-to-posterior ranged from 1.18 to 2.32 inches.
• Mean medial-to-lateral ranged from .7 to 2.44 inches.
• Mean vertical ranged from 1.65 to 3.89 inches.

Breast velocities:

• Anterior-to-posterior ranged from 1.4 to 4.08 feet per second (F/S).
• Medial-to-lateral ranged from 1.35 to 5.6 F/S.
• Vertical ranged from 2.68 to 7.13 F/S.

Breast acceleration:

• Anterior-to-posterior ranged from 38.26 to 158.9 F/S.
• Medial-to-lateral ranged from 51.1 to 170.5 F/S.
• Vertical ranged from 76.44 to 218 F/S.

Finally, scaling models discovered that breast mass was the only anthropometric measure to, time after time, show differences in breast kinematics between cup sizes.

The researchers concluded these practical findings:

• Bare-breasted kinematics significantly increased with cup size during running.
• Differences in breast displacement, velocity, and acceleration between cup sizes could be predicted by estimating breast mass based on conventional brassiere sizing.
• This information can be helpful to brassiere manufacturers in their pursuit of the most effective sports bras for various sizes.

As an active female, it is prudent for you to find the most appropriate device based on your breast size. Comfort, support, and ultimately performance should be the objective. Achieving this also means one less issue to deal with in your active lifestyle.

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.

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How do you balance your feminine nature with the competition that exists in athletics and sports? With a high level of personal expectations and the influences to be the best, how do you increase the ability to flow, feel free, and lessen rigidity from structure?

Quite honestly, this is a work in progress. It is an ebb and flow sometimes balancing and sometimes not. The trick is to ensure you have a strategy to draw you back towards center or with integrity to your balance point. Often femininity and athleticism seem like two separated worlds and, truth be told, they are if we have not yet found our own convergence. A lack of knowing this convergence point can lead to separations of “self” and a deep rooted internal conflict of wanting to be both feminine and athletic and not seeing their compatibility.

If such a conflict exists, you may have a pattern of leaping from one end of the spectrum to the absolute opposite end in a blink of an eye. Too much polarity can leave you exhausted and stressed. Do these Mental Strategy Exercises (MSE) to lessen the burden of being “both” and find your identity within your unique ranges:

MSE 1

Get to know your femininity clearly. What do you do, say, wear, or speak that recreates your connection to your feminine self? List them and be specific with your answers.

MSE 2

Get to know your range of femininity. When do you feel too much or when do you feel there is not enough?

MSE 3

Get to know your warrior athlete clearly. What do you do, say, wear or speak that recreates your connection to your warrior athlete self? List them and be specific with your answers.

MSE 4

Get to know your range of warrior athlete. When do you feel too much or when do you feel there is not enough?

MSE 5

Draw these two on a spectral line and mark the center point as you see it, when you feel balanced and relaxed in your self. Write down the qualities of each under their title.

MSE 6

Draw this spectral line again and mark the center point closer towards your feminine side as you see yourself with your sense of going with the flow, remaining soft, and being open to possibilities.

MSE 7

Draw this spectral line again and mark the center point closer towards your warrior athlete side as you see yourself with your sense of achievement and ambition to succeed in your pursuits.

MSE 8: Integration

What qualities can you weave in to your feminine side of the spectrum so you don’t feel as though you are losing or cutting off completely your warrior athlete? Write them in where appropriate on the spectral line. For instance, if a specific quality of your warrior athlete is measuring time, where might this quality come in useful for your feminine side? Conversely, if a specific quality of your femininity is adornment and appearance, where might this quality come in useful for your warrior athlete? Perhaps what you end up with is a sense of uniting both ranges – a time honoring, structured woman and an enbeautied, radiant athletic Woman.

Integration is about befriending and uniting both aspects of self, and finding the qualities in both that will make you a well-rounded and flexible woman. This lessens psychic strain and relieves the self of having to be separated individuals within one body. This will help you feel validated and without judgment, and ultimately loving yourself.

The post Athleticism and Femininity: Can They Co-Exist? appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

New research in the Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, and Arthroscopy, investigated the effect of the menstrual cycle on knee joint position sense and injury risk in healthy female athletes. Researchers collected data from 16 healthy female athletes, including serum estrogen and progesterone levels, taken during the three phases of menstrual cycle. Measurements were taken regarding knee joint position sense using skin markers, digital photography, and an AutoCAD software. The changes in hormone levels between the three phases of the menstrual cycle were also evaluated.

Research Results:

• Healthy female athletes have different levels of knee joint position sense across a menstrual cycle.
• Knee joint position sense accuracy decreases during menstruation (when hormones levels are low).
• Female athletes are at higher risk of injury at menstruation.

Researchers recommend that athletes consider improving body awareness regarding the knee joints, and understand the risk factors associated with knee injuries during the menstrual cycle. Taking more rest and recovery days during this period of time, and maintaining excellent nutrition is also a beneficial practice. It is also recommended that coaches implement programming plans that are not geared towards peaking or working on personal records during this time.

What is your experience? Have you noticed a change in your athletic abilities, performance, or any issue with injuries during your menstrual cycle? Do you take more rest days during your cycle, or are you pushing hard the whole month in maintaining the same workout plan?

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Ultrarunners are a extraordinary group of athletes, who are willing to push themselves mentally and physically to extreme limits. The sport of ultrarunning requires strong motivation, will, stamina, strength, and determination. There is relatively little data that exists on ultrarunners, and less specifically focusing on female ultrarunners. New research in Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, examined the motivation, goal orientation, demographic characteristics, training habits, and coaching preferences of 344 female ultrarunners. 

Researchers found that general health and psychological coping were the strongest motivational factors in these women. The female ultrarunners sampled were found to have very high task orientation, which relates to the ability to finish a race, or accomplish various goals. Scores signifying psychological motives were high, indicating that self esteem, life coping, and life meaning were noted as important sources of motivation among ultrarunners. Over 85% of athletes sampled set specific goals for their races or events. These goals were placed in four categories by importance including: top finisher/winner goals, time goals, distance goals, and a strong finisher goals.

Ultrarunners by nature follow a very rigorous training protocol, as a typical training run can be more than four hours in length. Athletes indicated that they trained an average of 12.49 hours per week, most trained alone (64%), and a large majority (80%) did not utilize a coach. Researchers explained that many athletes did not utilize a coach due to perceived financial costs. Of the women sampled 60% indicated that they did not have any children, and 78% reported being married or in a long-term relationship.

Researchers found female ultrarunners were primarily motivated by a sense of personal achievement first with general health goals being ranked second. Many ultrarunners indicated experiencing psychological and emotional personal rewards for pushing themselves past their perceived limits in an extremely challenging race. Researchers noted that having the strength and stamina to finish a race, increased the athletes’ perceived self-esteem.

Overall, researchers discovered that female ultrarunners were task oriented by nature, highly internally motivated, healthy, and somewhat financially conscious individuals. New and continuing research allows coaching professionals to take a look into the lives and inner workings of this specific population of athletes.

The post Inside the World of Women Ultrarunners appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Researchers found that power output was not significantly different between the 2 groups during their menstrual cycle. However, researchers found the measurements of growth hormone levels were significantly greater in group of subjects taking oral contraceptives, than in the control group. These results indicated that female athletes who take oral contraceptive pills, could have a significantly higher growth hormone response to sprint running than normally menstruating female athletes.

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