From the same people who decided to kill off Bert on Sesame Street, comes our depressing research news for the day.
Birth Control Pills Make You Weak
Every girl now knows that strength training is integral to good health. It shores up our bones, helps us live longer, and – of course – helps us look better in a bikini. Gone are the days where thin was good enough to strut your stuff. Now, as every ladymag will helpfully point out (in 6 weeks or less!), you need to be toned. And for once I do actually agree with them. I not only feel healthier and think I look better since I started lifting weights but I also feel more powerful, a much-needed boon to my piddling self esteem.
Unfortunately, according to a new study from Texas A&M University and the University of Pittsburgh, your birth control pill could be undoing all those gains. Researchers took 73 premenopausal healthy women and divided them into two groups. The first group took oral contraceptives while the second did not. (I’m assuming that the groups were self selecting.) Both groups were then put on a 10-week strength training program where all the participants did 3 days a week of the same weight lifting program, supervised by exercise physiologists and controlled for number and intensity of exercises. Particpants were also told to get a minimum of 0.5g of protein per pound of bodyweight a day.
At the end of the ten weeks, the women off the pill built 60% more muscle than women on the pill. 60-freakin’-percent. That’s a lot of lean muscle. Researchers theorized the lack of gains was due to increased levels of cortisol (the dreaded muscle canabalizing stress hormone) and decreased levels of testosterone (yes, girls have it too), as evidenced by blood tests.
This brings up an interesting point that I have been wondering about lately. From my experience, pregnancy generally seems to make me a bit weaker when it comes to weights. There are many possible causes for this like fatigue, nausea and stretching ligaments, but deep down it feels as if I’m just inherently weaker when I’m pregnant. And since the pill works by mimicking low levels of pregnancy hormones, I’m guessing that the real deal will work on muscles the same way. (Note to researchers: if you want a pregnant fitness guinea pig – call me!!) During my last pregnancy, I focused on just maintaining my muscle mass until about 8 months and then it seemed like a downhill slide to the finish line. I definitely had to make up for the loss after the baby was born.
This also has interesting implications for the does-birth-control-make-you-gain-weight question. Obviously if a woman is on the pill, now known to increase cortisol and decrease (or at least impede the formation of new) lean muscle mass, then it would absolutely affect her weight.
I would assume these conclusions would hold true for any type of hormonal birth control. So where does that leave a girl who wants to get lean but not pregnant?
Running Makes You Wrinkly
On a slightly more frivolous note, the morning radio show I sometimes listen to (the same one that once based an entire 30-minute segment on whether or not you can tell if someone is obese over the phone) reported that “it’s a fact that running makes you wrinkle prematurely.” The DJ based her assertion on “research” that has shown that repeated high-impact activities cause gravity to work harder on the body, specifically causing the delicate skin on the face to sag earlier than non-runners.
When someone says research, I say Google! It’s like my own version of Marco-Polo but more educational. After much searching of the Great Internet, I discovered many anecdotal reports of premature wrinkling due to running but no actual research. The London Times reports
Claims made recently by one American plastic surgeon that running is the biggest cause of premature wrinkles after smoking and sunbathing are dismissed as absurd by most experts.
“Anyone who loses too much weight, whether they run or not, will look more haggard,” Brewer says “In general, running makes you more youthful because it results in a firmer, better-toned body and improved circulation.”
So it appears that as long as you wear sunscreen and a hat to minimize sun exposure while running outside, you can probably cross this fear off your list. Now you can spend your time worrying about more important things – like birth control!
Any of you have any personal experience with either of these topics? Anyone else hyperventilating over their choice of birth control now?
This study was absolutely what I didn’t want to hear. I am one of those weird women who DOES want to have big muscles, but I never get much bigger. I’ve been on the pill for 10 YEARS now, and I’m only 29! I’ve never had a child, and I’m freaked out by taking these hormones all the time. It’s not recommended that I get an IUD, again, because I’ve never had a child (and I don’t want long annoying periods). What’s a girl to do??? I want big muscles, short periods, and no freaky hormones!
The other part of me says if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it. I’ve never had terrible side effects from the pill. My skin is fine, no cramps, short periods, and I don’t think it ever caused me weight gain. I initially got on the pill to regulate my periods (which were sporadic at best), so if I messed with my current pill it would probably mess up my whole system. Guess I’ll never have big muscles…*sigh*.
Since I’m pregnant (deliberately) I’m definitely not worried about my birthcontrol!
But boy, am I worried about this rapid weakness when it comes to my weightlifting routine! At this rate I’ll be using those pink 3# dumbells that have been getting flack on the internet lately, before I have this baby.
And since I figure I’ll be nearing menopause by the time I’m done with nursing (which works pretty reliably for me as a birth control), I figure there will be some other problem that ‘research’ will fling at me.
Darned if you do, darned if you don’t.
Oh, and the running wrinkles? I guess if someone is truly concerned, they can loop a jog bra twice around their face! Works as a chemical free sunblock too! 🙂
That’s really interesting about the birth control study. I always wondered why, even though I did weight lifting and strength training for years I wasn’t making any progress but then in the last two years I’ve made leaps and bounds. I thought it was the difference between using weight machines and doing Pilates but now that I think about it, I went off the pill about two years ago. Fascinating!
That’s really interesting about the birth control study. I always wondered why, even though I did weight lifting and strength training for years I wasn’t making any progress but then in the last two years I’ve made leaps and bounds. I thought it was the difference between using weight machines and doing Pilates but now that I think about it, I went off the pill about two years ago. Fascinating!
That’s really interesting about the birth control study. I always wondered why, even though I did weight lifting and strength training for years I wasn’t making any progress but then in the last two years I’ve made leaps and bounds. I thought it was the difference between using weight machines and doing Pilates but now that I think about it, I went off the pill about two years ago. Fascinating!
As a girl who wants to get competition lean/muscular but doesn’t want to get pregnant I have ditched the contraception altogether and just live dangerously (within reason!).
The good (or bad) thing is that once you are lean enough, your body will stop even considering investing energy into being fertile (no periods) so you are pretty much right from then on.
A bit warped, very unhealthy, but works for me!!
There are a lot of benefits to the Pill, so I guess you have to weigh the pros and cons. If a non-hormonal IUD is an option, I personally recommend it. Otherwise, there’s always the drugstore options.
My cousin was just telling me about this study – I have been taking birth control for years and I work out all the time, maybe I’ll just blame the birth control for my lack of actual toned muscles…! Or, maybe I’ll blame it on my love for cheese, chocolate, and everything else….Great post, very informative.
Time to look into alternative methods of birth control!
AAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!! FINALLY!!!!!! I have had SUCH a bee in my bonnet lately about this! I was on the Depo Provera injection for 4 years and AM UTTERLY CONVINCED it has meesed with my ability to tone and also to lose weight. While I was ON it, no probs at all, since coming OFF it – good LORD it’s been tough! All my doctor says is ‘it’s an age thing’ – well it’s only 4 years! From age 26 to 30! I am DYING for someone to do some proper in depth research into this!! Thanks Charlotte for a fab post – I’m so glad you brought it uP!!!!
bfp x
i did drop a couple of vanity pounds without really trying after ditching my birth control (i had been on for years). i think the pill just made me more hungry. particularly noticeable is that my estrogen-loving boobs deflated pretty quickly.
katieP, your plan may work, but in the long run is not a good one. prolonged amenorrhea = lack of estrogen stimulation to the bones = early osteoporosis = stress fractures, a curved spine, and breakable hips.
Thanks for debunking the running/wrinkling thing!
And I’m bummed about the birth control… I take it to put a damper on humongoid periods from hell. I hate that the pill might interfere with muscle building, but at this point, it’s worth the trade-off in controlling the “Carrie” effect.
Hmmmm. I’ve always had fairly toned muscles, contraception or not. But maybe they could have been more toned if I had done away with the little pills?
All I know is that since coming off BC, I’ve gained weight. Finally, 6 months later, the weight is starting to come off. Can someone please seriously get to work on the birth control pill for men, please?
I read about this birth control thing too and I was totally bummed! Like many here I take it to avoid horrible periods (and to not get pregnant), but I want muscles! Now I’m seriously considering alternative options. Is that too vain? That worries me too… Hormones suck!
Wait. What? Bert? What?
I am so out of touch.
I have been on bc for years. I also take it every single day so as not to get a monthly visit from my “friend.” I am not worried about the pregnancy factor at this point – just keeping the flow low.
I’ve also struggled to get stronger. I don’t know if that’s the reason, but I do know that I have seen many a woman out perform me in the weight room. I just never seem to make the sort of progress I would like to. And while I am reasonably strong, I still just can’t seem to add much in the way of muscle. Then again, I also wonder how much my diet and my overall body tall impacts this too. I don’t know!!
It’s just one more thing where you’re damned if you do, and damned if you don’t!
This actually made me feel better about my stalled progress.
So thank you.
I don’t know. Maybe the birth-control to atrophy ratio is high in some women. But, it hasn’t been true for me. I’ve been on some crazy hormonal birth controls consistently for about 5 years and I still put on muscle scary-fast. Don’t get me wrong, I love my arms, but if anything I bulk easier now than I did when I was younger.
Or maybe I am just a testosterone oozing amazon impervious to muscle-fiber eating girly hormones… could be
Abstinence, I guess?
Damn.
I found it fairly easy to gain muscle even after taking birth control for years. If my potential for muscle gain was reduced by 60% due to the pills, I can only imagine what I could have done without the pills!
Pregnancy “weakness” sucks. I don’t know what it is. It is especially disappointing since I do CrossFit…no more PRs for me right now. I don’t know what it is – I’m not tired, it isn’t my back. Is it the mysterious center of gravity change? Is it just my body’s way of saying, take it easy and don’t life that much right now?
NOT Birth Control Pills (I could never take them).. but I recently had to get off Lipitor -which I’ve been using the past 10 years – because it started to make me weak and was starting to destroy my hard-earned muscles. It was causing creatine leakage from the cells.
In 6 weeks my endurance dropped by over 50%. Within 5 days of stopping, my endurance increased significantly; now to build that muscle back.
Really bad part? Because the muscle was damaged, I wasn’t burning the calories and gained 10# of bodyfat.
Which will take more than 5 days to burn off.
Well, at my age, I don't have to worry about the birth control thing! HA! Although I don't recall this problem, I do have a great hubby that got himself "fixed" for me early on so I did not have to take them after we were married.
As for wrinkling, I only see the loss of fat in my face that is causing probs! Plus, sunscreen is crucial. I also am still way to oily for my age & they say that the one thing good about that is you don't wrinkle as much as you age. GREAT, thx for the oily skin and adult acne & the hormone hair.. oh, I digress once again!!!
hrmm … i’ve been on the pill for several years now – originally for irregular, sporadic periods and now because of that and for their technical reason. i haven’t had that many issues building muscle (though i haven’t seriously tried to actually “bulk up” per se), but the cortisol effect makes a lot of sense.
This post could not have come at a better time! I’ve recently been finding all of these absolutely TERRIBLE things about birth control. I just went off of my pill yesterday and I’m scared about what’s going to happen. Who knows what these wacky hormones have been doing to me for the last 3.5 years, and what is my body going to do now that it’s off of them? Very very interesting about the muscle mass.
Kristy and all you others who are hating the pill at the moment, listen up!
I am a 39-year-old nulliparous (no kids) woman who was on the Pill for upwards of ten years. I got a Mirena IUD two years ago and LOVE IT.
The only requirement for an IUD is that you have a uterus that is at least five centimeters from the cervical opening on the inside to the top. You don’t need to have had kids, you don’t need to be done with having kids, you don’t need to stand on your head and whistle the national anthem of Bolivia. All that matters any more is that your uterus is large enough to accept the IUD.
The Mirena is a progesterone-releasing IUD, which means that you have much lighter periods, if you have any at all (I’ve had three). It also reinforces the anovulatory effect of any IUD.
There is a concern if you are not monogamous and do not use condoms, as any IUD can increase the risk of pelvic inflammatory disease. However, if you’re monogamous/faithfully condom using, you should be able to tolerate the IUD with no trouble at all.
There is no effect on fertility with IUDs. The business about being more likely to become infertile comes from ONE type of IUD, the Dalkon Shield, that was badly designed, badly used, and taken off the market 35 years ago.
Talk to your doc about it. Mine was installed at Planned Parenthood. It took 5 minutes from the time I hopped onto the table to the time I hopped down and cost me about $225. For five years of 99%+ effective, reversible, safer-than-the-Pill birth control, I call that a bargain.
PS: The most commonly used form of birth control among female OB/GYNs? The IUD. That, along with my own research, sold me on the device.
I’m thinking we need to do more handstand pushups in our workouts! Reverse gravity baby!
Bizzare. Another study from a single point of view. The healthy industry is full of competitors. Where would we be without diversity…
Hey, were running our own health initiative where you could win $500 in Nike fitness gear!
http://tinyurl.com/d89cg3
It’s that simple… so get your friends together, get involved and pass it on.
Thanks heaps!
Les Mills and Me
http://www.lesmillsandme.com
The Pill is bad news: an expensive way to wreck your hormones. If you do not want to get pregnant, there is a relatively easy solution (easy to understand anyway): have a heart-to-heart with your significant other and admit that there is no such thing as an ‘unplanned’ baby.
Thank goodness about running – but – geez. I totally did not need another deterrent to getting me back on birth control. Thanks a lot!!! (kidding, of course)
Wait – someone decided to kill off Bert??
This is so funny because my son’s dentist (after hearing that I was a runner) asked me if I noticed my face sagging at all! Um, wha?? The second I got in the car, I checked the mirror wondering what he was seeing that I wasn’t! I refuse to believe.
Hey!
i’m 17 and been on the birth control pill microgynon 30 for about 5 months, although i m a healthy active person i have gained 10lbs (last time i weighed myself- i have the feeling i may ahve gained more :|) since starting the pill although i havnt tried masses of different pills i have to admit that i have been seriously dieting and exercising making sure i burnt off far more than i was taking in yet i’v still gained weight. after reading this i have to admit i have noticed some serious untoning appearing on my thighs and for the first time i think in my entire life!! a bit of a belly! which has had a huge affect on my self esteem -which my bf doesnt seem to care that much about even though it’s all for his f-ing benefit as he hates condoms… i dnt mind them tbh- as im normally a UK size 6-8 now im and UK size 8-10 i know that it’s not exactly obesely but its still a huge weight gain in such a short space of time whilst dieting and exercsing… it did not make sense… until reading this
my muscles less lean… so slower metabolic rate… so huge weight gains… MARVELOUS
thanks though charlotte this is a great it of research 🙂 (y)
xoxo
60% makes it SOUND like a big difference, but when you put numbers on these types of percentages the differences are usually miniscule. Like the whole HIIT thing burning more calories after exercise than other forms of cardio, with some impressive percentages, that actually amounts to something like 30 calories. Find out the numbers, if Google permits you entrance into those halls, and it’s likely to be something like non-pill women gained 5lbs of lean body mass, and pill women gained only 3. That said, I have a hormonal imbalance that uses birth control pills as the treatment, yet I still choose to do fertility-awareness ovulation charting instead. Super excited about getting my ovaries out and seeing how that lowered testosterone affects me. And male-pattern balding.
Jo’s comment may have just changed my life.
Thank you!
Okay I'm pretty sure that running DOES cause wrinkles… I'm a freak about wearing a great sunscreen and I love to run but every time I notice less elasticity in my skin, especially by my mouth. I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'.
Man! Ive been on birth control for about a year, and for the past month I’ve been going to the gym and running almost everyday but I’m making no progress and have no endurance! I thought birth control might be the cause and now I know it is! Not worth it for me, I’m going off of it. Thank you!
Maybe it is true? I am not on the pill ( haven’t been for years). I am 24 years old and have a copper IUD. I seem to build muscle tone very quickly, even just going to the gym once in a while I notice the difference :O!
Emily, do trying going off the pill! I was always a thin girl, went on yasmin for a couple of years and started to get very bloated, especially in my face.Went off the pill and without any effort the excess weight dropped very quickly. I went from 57 to 53 kilos. I believe the excess estrogen causes the fat cells to enlarge and also water retention. I do get some acne now but it’s much easier to control it with a topical retinoid. Never hormones again for me!