3 Tips For Being An Athlete Who Wants To Conceive A Child

Many of the discussions related to fertility are about not being over or underweight, and generally living a healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately, there is less discussion about athletes and the struggles they may face with conception, especially because adherence to a strict diet and workout routine might be the underlying problem.

Aim For Normal Cycles

One of the major clues that you might face fertility concerns is having abnormal cycles. It is not uncommon for athletes to either lose their period or have a period at irregular intervals. This is an issue you should discuss with your gynecologist, who might help you determine if there are any underlying problems. One concern for athletes is having a low body fat percentage. Although being lean is ideal, especially for the physique athletes strive for, you need a certain amount of body fat to menstruate regularly and sustain a pregnancy. Your gynecologist may want to perform tests to check hormone levels and/or do an ultrasound to see if your ovaries are functioning normally.

Rethink Your Diet

Part of the road to conception can include rethinking your diet and any supplements you might take. Both your gynecologist and a nutritionist can be helpful in giving you guidance for your nutrition. Most likely you take a multivitamin, which is critical for supplying your body with the necessary nutrition, but there may be workout supplements that are not ideal if you want to become pregnant. You may need to focus more on the food you eat if you are trying to achieve a balance between maintaining your fitness level and conceiving. Other concerns might be macronutrient ratios in your diet. Many athletes rely predominantly on carbohydrates and protein, with little or no fat in their diet. Although this can work well for some athletes, it is not necessarily ideal for conception, especially if you are avoiding healthy fats.

Avoid Over-training

Being too physically active can be problematic for some athletes, which may explain why some athletes take time away from their sport when they are expanding their family. If you face problems with conceiving, you might also want to make adjustments to your training schedule. For example, instead of only having a single rest day each week, you might change to two rest days. This does not mean you need to lie on the couch, but you might participate in an "active" rest day, which can include some leisurely activity, such as walking or hiking. Other changes you might consider, depending on the type of workouts you do, is reducing intensity or reps for a while.

Every athlete is different and some have no problems conceiving, even with a grueling diet and workout schedule. If you think your training might be the culprit, it is time to discuss these concerns with an OBGYN like Women's Care Inc


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