Movement & Neuroscience nuggets: What the perimenopause?
Alright, ladies, buckle up because we're about to embark on the wild ride known as perimenopause—the ultimate hormonal rollercoaster! Think of it as the shaky bridge between your regular menstrual cycle and the magical land of "no more periods." It usually hits between your 40s and 50s, but if you're an early bird, you might catch the show a little sooner. And here's the kicker: menopause isn’t some ongoing saga. Nope, it’s literally one day—the anniversary of your last period. Congrats! The day after that? Boom, you’re officially in post-menopause.
So, what’s going on during perimenopause? Picture your estrogen and progesterone doing the cha-cha, but really badly. They’re rising, falling, and just generally making life unpredictable. These hormone hijinks can last up to 10 years (yes, TEN!), but remember: these hormones aren’t just running your reproductive show—they’re the directors of your mental, physical, and emotional well-being, too.
If you’re feeling like someone swapped your brain with a confused squirrel’s, welcome to hormonal SOS. There’s a loooong list of symptoms you might experience: mood swings (hello, peri-rage!), hot flashes, depression, anxiety, itchy skin, night sweats, brain fog, stiff joints, sore muscles, and... well, we’d be here all day if we listed them all!
Now, why all this madness? Your hormones are neuro-transmitters, talking to pretty much every cell in your body. So when they’re out of sync—too loud, too soft—your brain hits the panic button. It’s like your brain interprets its inputs and thinks, “Uh oh, we’re under attack!” So cue outputs such as depression, anxiety, fatigue, dizziness, nausea—all delightful attempts by your brain to slow you down and keep you safe. Hormonal imbalances also affect the fluid dynamics in your vestibular system (a.k.a. the inner ear) so don’t be surprised if you get spells of dizziness, vertigo or nausea and find your balance off kilter. Oh, and let’s not forget the cortisol party (that’s your stress hormone), which throws your insulin levels into chaos. If you’ve noticed that your weight’s creeping up even though you’re still killing it at the gym, you can probably thank cortisol for that.
Here’s the lowdown on Your Hormones:
Estrogen (AKA, E2, the Queen Bee)
There are three types of estrogen, but estradiol (E2) is the key player here. As your E2 levels drop, they’re not dropping at the same rate as progesterone, and that imbalance spells trouble. Without enough E2, your body’s not as good at building lean muscle, and since muscle = metabolism, your fat-burning engine slows down. E2 also powers your muscles, helps you regulate mood, body temperature, memory, and even bone growth (hello, osteoporosis prevention!). This Queen Bee hormone does everything from lubricating your joints to keeping your blood sugar in check.
Progesterone (Your Chill Pill)
Progesterone is estrogen’s calmer, stabilizing counterpart, holding down the fort when estrogen wants to loosen up your ligaments and cause havoc. As progesterone levels drop, your risk of ligament injuries goes up (ouch!). But progesterone also brings the zen—helping you feel calm, reducing anxiety, and even boosting brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is like Miracle-Gro for your brain cells. Low BDNF can leave you feeling foggy, forgetful, and cranky. Fun times, right?
Testosterone (The Unsung Hero)
Testosterone’s not just about keeping your libido alive—it’s like the brain’s personal trainer. It sharpens your mind, keeps your blood vessels strong, regulates serotonin (hello, mood booster!), and gives you that hit of dopamine that keeps you feeling motivated and full of joy. Plus, it helps keep memory loss at bay. So, yeah, testosterone’s pretty awesome.
So, if you’re wondering why your brain’s in a fog, your mood’s all over the place, and your body's throwing you curveballs—it’s all part of the hormonal remix going on during perimenopause. But don’t worry, you’re not alone on this ride. Hang tight, and remember: this, too, shall pass!
If this has whetted your appetite and you want to know more about Peri-menopause or Menopause then I've found these two books very helpful in my research for the above: