S2|E33 - MHR - Menopause & Running with Sport Scientist, Shona Hendricks

Making A Runner

Let's face it, menopause and menopausal women more specifically, don't have the greatest reputation. Hot, sweaty, grumpy and sometimes "hysteric women", is the first and sometimes the only thing that people know or associate with menopause.

This is quite alarming because menopause is as unavoidable as puberty, it is the second drastic hormonal shift that every woman (who has the privilege of aging) will experience at some point in her later adult years, starting typically from mid-40ies - early 50ies.

However, if more people saw and understood menopause for what it is, we'd understand that it is vital to do everything we can to make sure that we arrive to our menopausal years well, because there are a multitude of changes that come along with menopause that impact the way that we are able to train and perform as runners.

In this episode Shona helps us understand:

• The difference between the perimenopausal, menopausal and post-menopausal phases.
• What changes you can expect and how to navigate them.
• The vital role that oestrogen plays in muscle synthesis and bone density.
• How strength training is the most powerful tool you have in our toolbox, alongside nutrition and proper recovery.
• Where HRT fits in and how the narrative is changing on hormone replacement therapy.
• How to adapt the way you train to best support your body as it transforms.

Shona is part of a small group of people who see, understand and is actively working on the problem of lack of or misinformation about menopause. She will soon be publishing a book (by way of the same name) that speaks specifically to the "Menopausal Runner".

Shona's experience and expertise in the subject matter really blew us away. Everyone can benefit from giving this conversation a listen.

For more recourses from Shona and the Coach Parry team you can visit: https://coachparry.com/comrades-strength-training/?via=nic&who=mar&utm_campaign=content_marketing&utm_medium=audio&utm_source=podcast&utm_content=Making%20a%20Runner&utm_term=Comrades%20Nov%202023