Underperforming at the Gym? Low Estrogen Could Be the Reason

So you’ve been hitting the gym for years, but lately, you’ve been having this feeling that something is just… Off.

Actually, now that you think about it, it’s only been getting worse and it definitely didn’t happen out of the blue.

You’re getting tired a lot quicker, maintaining your strength and physique has become much harder, and you’ve been needing more rest between workouts as well.



If you’re at least in your late 30s, what you might be experiencing are the downsides of approaching menopause—or specifically, the effects of gradually declining estrogen levels.

Confused? Let us help you understand the intricacies of your ongoing hormonal shift and, of course, we’ll also talk about the various ways through which it can be tamed.

The “Lock and Key” Analogy

When it comes to working out, your energy basically determines how well you’ll perform. If you don’t get tired too quickly during your sessions, maximizing your gains shouldn’t be too hard—with a bit of effort and time.
Now, what does estrogen have to do with this? Think of the processes in your body being kept behind locked doors, needing the right key before they can provide you with whatever benefits they have.



Among those processes is glucose and lipid metabolism, or the breakdown of sugars and fats so that they can be used as energy when necessary instead of being merely stashed away.

Estrogen, as it turns out, is the key to unlocking that “metabolic door”. By activating estrogen receptor α (ERα), the hormone promotes the breakdown of glucose and lipids, giving you the energy you need during exercise.

Interestingly, there’s another “lock” that estrogen seems to work on despite not necessarily opening it. Leptin is a hormone that’s responsible for giving you a sense of fullness and facilitating energy expenditure.

Unfortunately, the body isn’t always that great at opening leptin’s door, which is why it’s sometimes so hard to stay away from snacks no matter how much you’ve already eaten. You eat, but you don’t feel full.

Estrogen makes it easier for that door to be opened, mainly by greasing the lock—or in particular, by making the body more sensitive towards leptin’s effect.

So, with the female sex hormone’s help, you get twice the energy boost. And alternatively, when its levels are far too low, you end up feeling worn out or lethargic for long periods.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryNjSP5VVI8

What makes the problem worse, is that tiredness or fatigue can cause depression if left unchecked. Staying motivated is crucial to maximizing your time at the gym, and in keeping yourself from missing sessions.

On Weak, Damaged Muscles

Now that we’ve got the energy part covered, let’s move on to strength—a factor that limits how hard you can go, regardless of how enthusiastic you are about improving your physique.

Here’s something that tends to surprise many: the lack of estrogen leads to a reduction of myosin. This particular motor protein is found within muscle fibers, and it’s what makes muscle contraction possible.



In other words, it gives force to the movement. And surely, when there isn’t enough myosin being produced, strength, in general, takes a hit as the muscles themselves end up losing an important part of their structure.

That’s not the only reason why estrogen is vital to strength though, as the hormone also plays a role in preventing oxidative damage—or the harm sustained by cells from increased free radical production during exercise.

Remember the “lock and key” analogy?

The female hormone again serves as a key, opening the door to a number of physiological processes that ultimately combat oxidative stress and, in turn, maintain muscle mass.

That effect is exactly why some women use botanical serums with phytoestrogens . Phytoestrogens, after all, work like estrogen and may support recovery just as effectively—we’ll talk more about this later.

Going back to oxidative damage, do you know that inflammation, something that is guaranteed to occur after working out, typically entails an increase in free radicals?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2di2KE1pNw

While inflammation is part of the recovery process, it involves neutrophils that do more harm than good while getting rid of injured muscle tissue—leaving in their trail lots of free radicals.

It’s among estrogen’s duties to limit the activity of these neutrophils. And so, when there’s not enough of the hormone around, recovery takes even longer due to the added damage.

Solving the Hormonal Dilemma

Keeping yourself energized and your muscles healthy needs a solution that would either target the hormonal shift’s effects or open the same locks that require the female sex hormone as their key.

One way of doing that is by undergoing hormone replacement therapy (HRT). However, this is something usually recommend to those who’ve hit menopause, not to women whose estrogen levels have just started to drop.
HRT, despite the many advantages it offers, comes with risks that are worth thinking through. The risk of developing cancer, for example, may grow depending on the specific dose, route, and hormone used.

If you aren’t bothered by other symptoms that come with hormonal decline, you could consider a milder, safer approach—such as making sure that you’re getting enough of certain vitamins.

Vitamins B6 and B12 help to increase the oxygen supply within your muscles by facilitating red blood cell production. This, in turn, supports not only energy metabolism and muscle growth, but also muscle repair and recovery.



Vitamin E, on the other hand, is an excellent choice if you want to minimize oxidative stress. It will benefit your skin too, reducing sun damage much like estrogen itself.

Last but certainly not least, there’s what experts call phytoestrogens. As we’ve partly mentioned, these are plant-derived compounds that function as the female sex hormone.

How exactly? If estrogen is the key to the body’s many “physiological locks”, then phytoestrogens are essentially nature’s duplicates—or in other words, their structure allows them to activate the very same receptors.

The scientific community, intrigued by these compounds, is carrying out numerous studies to map the perks of phytoestrogens and fully understand their potential. And, based on what’s been discovered so far , things are looking good.

What makes these alternatives really great, however, is how easy they are to get. Given that they can be sourced from food (e.g. tofu, nuts) as well as supplements (both topical and oral), they’ve become a popular choice.

Deciding on the Right Approach

All in all, estrogen decline does come with a worrying assortment of effects, especially to gym performance. And so, it’s only to be expected that you’d take the search for a safe and effective solution seriously.

To do that, be sure to visit your doctor for a proper diagnosis and to discuss your options. Remember that while every woman will eventually face this hormonal issue, its impact and scope won’t necessarily be identical for all.

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