Female hormones in the male body. Men and their sex hormones Female and male hormones in a woman

The general group of male hormones is called androgens. They are responsible for the formation of male muscles, genitals, hair growth and sexual desire. The main male hormone is testosterone. It is present in both male and female bodies. A woman needs such a hormone for the balanced development of the sebaceous glands, bone marrow and other sexual characteristics of the second type. The testicles and adrenal glands are the center of androgen development in men and the ovaries in women. However, the situation gets out of control when an excess of androgen occurs in the female body. Let's look at the causes of this phenomenon, the symptoms of the disease, diagnostic methods and methods of treatment.

Causes of hormonal disorders in women

We have already found out that male hormones in the female body, in a certain amount, are the norm and even a necessity. However, their excess indicates serious disorders in the body and possible diseases.

Causes leading to hormonal disorders:

1. Hereditary predisposition (usually transmitted through the maternal line).
2. Severe stress, overwork, constant exposure to an environment that irritates the nervous system.
3. Loss of protein contact with testosterone.
4. Deterioration of metabolism in the body
5. Ovarian cyst or tumor.
6. Sudden weight loss.
7. Unbalanced nutrition.
8. Frequent consumption of foods that increase testosterone (cabbage, nuts, alcohol, etc.)

Also, male hormones in the female body are produced in increased quantities during pregnancy and during menopause. Both in the first and in the second case, everything should return to normal after a certain time. But, if unpleasant symptoms bother long term or affect well-being during pregnancy, you should definitely seek medical help.

Signs of a hormonal imbalance

The following symptoms of male hormones in women can occur either individually or several symptoms at the same time.

• The appearance of acne, pimples and blackheads on the face or other areas of the skin (this is due to the fact that the sebaceous glands begin to function incorrectly).
• Nervous disorders, irritability, depression.
• Irregular menstrual cycle, ovulation does not occur.
• Unnatural increased hair growth on the body and face.
• Physiological changes resembling men's (body structure changes, voice changes, bald patches appear on the head).
• An inexplicable set of extra pounds.
• Excessive sweating.
• Decreased or complete absence of libido.

If you do not pay attention to such signs in a timely manner, then hormonal failure can lead to diabetes and infertility.

IMPORTANT! Few people know that even young girls can have such disorders.

If you miss the time and do not seek medical help, you may later encounter such problems as an unfeminine figure, a change in sexual orientation, and other diseases.

Often, spouses are faced with the problem of conceiving a child and do not suspect that the reason may be in the increased amount of male hormones in women.

To cope with all the problems and diseases caused by hormonal failure, effective diagnostics is necessary first of all.

Diagnostic methods

With hormonal diseases, they turn to a gynecologist-endocrinologist.

All diagnostics in general can be divided into primary and secondary.

1. Primary includes an examination, questioning the patient and passing general tests in order to find out the general condition of the patient and the presence of other diseases that may affect the current hormonal failure.
2. Secondary: delivery of hormonal tests, gynecological ultrasound, examination of the mammary glands. It is also necessary to examine the adrenal glands and the pituitary gland.

It is advisable to take blood tests for testosterone at the wrong time. menstrual cycle. It is also recommended a few days before the test for hormones to give up sexual intercourse, taking alcoholic beverages, smoking and physical activity.

When visiting a specialist, inform him of all medicines that you use or have RECENTLY stopped taking.

ATTENTION! Do not try to determine the hormonal disorder yourself and carry out unauthorized treatment. Only a highly qualified specialist can draw up a complete picture, after a comprehensive examination.

Methods of treatment

After the results of all examinations are received, and the doctor has confirmed the high level of male hormones in a woman, an individual plan is drawn up to reduce these hormones. It may include:

• Prescribing special medications.
• Physiotherapy exercises.
• Hormonal preparations.
• Operative method of treatment for serious diseases (removal of a tumor, uterus, etc.)
• special diet.

Remember that any drug treatment has side effects. For example, taking hormonal pills is associated with a risk of disturbing the natural hormonal balance. When agreeing to a particular type of treatment, be sure to think about the consequences.

One common way to lower testosterone levels is to avoid sugar and fast carbohydrates. It is well known that sugar stimulates the release of insulin, which in turn causes the ovaries to produce testosterone.

Many people speak positively about yoga as a good way to restore not only mental, but also hormonal balance. If yoga is not to your liking, any type of exercise can also help.

So, by carefully identifying the symptoms of a hormonal failure, contacting a good specialist in time and choosing the right treatment, you can get rid of all the disturbing symptoms of an increased content of male hormones in the female body and avoid the unpleasant consequences that such a phenomenon can entail.

The effect of hormones on human relationships

We naively believe that we make decisions on our own, of our own free will show interest in someone, and reject someone, of our own free will unite our fate with someone. In fact, very many of our actions - especially when we are talking about communication with the opposite sex - amazing, full of mysteries and secrets, chemical compounds - hormones. Women are women in every sense of the word and with all the ensuing consequences, precisely under the influence of female hormones. This also applies to men, only they are led by male hormones. However, in every woman there is a little bit of a man, and in every man there is a little bit of a woman. In the hormonal sense of these words.

female hormones

ESTROGEN is the most female hormone. It is synthesized by the ovaries. Estrogen causes the regularity of the menstrual cycle, in girls it causes the formation of secondary sexual characteristics (enlargement of the mammary glands, growth of pubic and armpit hair, a characteristic shape of the pelvis). In addition, during puberty, estrogen helps the girl's body prepare for a future sex life and motherhood - this applies to many points related to the state of the external genitalia and uterus. Thanks to estrogen, an adult woman maintains youth and beauty, good skin condition and a positive attitude towards life. If the amount of estrogen in the female body is normal, the woman, as a rule, feels great and often looks younger than her peers with a disturbed hormonal background. Estrogen is also responsible for a woman's desire to nurse and protect her nest.

DATA:

Since estrogen has a calming effect, it is given to aggressive men in prisons - it is believed that this helps to cope with outbursts of anger.

Estrogen also improves memory. That is why women during menopause, when ovarian failure causes a drop in estrogen levels in the body, often have difficulty remembering. Usually, hormone replacement therapy helps to cope with this, which protects a woman in menopause, and from other health-related troubles.

Estrogen causes the female body to store fat. This is very upsetting for women, but it causes enthusiasm among livestock breeders: thanks to the estrogen introduced into the feed, farm animals are remarkably gaining weight.

An indicator of a high level of estrogen in the blood and, therefore, a high ability to conceive a child - light color hair. Perhaps men, instinctively feeling the fertility of blondes, have an increased interest in them. However, after the birth of the first child, the level of estrogen in the body of a woman decreases, and her hair darkens. Two or three children, and the husband wonders why his beloved blonde wife has darkened her hair.

PROGESTERONE is a hormone that contributes to the timely onset and normal development of pregnancy. Progesterone is produced by the corpus luteum, placenta and adrenal glands. It is called the hormone of parental instinct: thanks to progesterone, a woman not only physically prepares for the birth of a child, but also experiences psychological changes. Progesterone also prepares a woman's mammary glands to produce milk when a baby is born.

DATA:

The level of progesterone in the blood of a woman rises when she sees small children. Some researchers believe that this is caused by a signal tentatively called "the shape of the baby." It has been established that an increase in progesterone in a woman's blood causes the appearance of a small, plump body with a large head and large eyes. This reaction is so strong that progesterone is actively released, even if a woman sees a "baby-like" soft toy, such as a bear. Most men remain completely indifferent to soft and thick toy bears.

PROLACTIN is a hormone produced by the pituitary gland, a pea-sized gland located in the brain. The biological role of prolactin is to ensure the growth and development of the mammary glands and intensive stimulation of milk production during the period of feeding a child. This hormone is called stress - its content increases with increased physical exertion, overwork, psychological trauma.

DATA:

An "unauthorized" increase in the level of prolactin can cause diseases of the mammary glands - for example, mastopathy, as well as discomfort in the mammary glands during "critical days".

Male hormones (androgens)

TESTOSTERONE is the most male hormone. It is produced by the adrenal glands and testicles. Testosterone is called the aggression hormone. He makes a man hunt and kill prey. Thanks to testosterone, a man is set to provide food and protect his home and family. IN modern society this hormone is fraught with some danger for men, because in order to feed a family, now there is no need to run through the forest and throw spears. In order to maintain normal testosterone levels, a man needs exercise stress- modern representatives of the stronger sex replace the ancient hunt with a modern gym.

During puberty, a young man's testosterone levels skyrocket, turning him into a lean, fast, and purposeful "machine" for getting food. In the same period, under the influence of androgens, the young man turns into a man capable of fertilization.

DATA:

Thanks to testosterone, a beard grows in men and the likelihood of baldness increases, the voice becomes deep and the ability to navigate in space develops. Possessors of lower voices demonstrate higher sexual activity.

Reading ability improves in people treated with testosterone road maps.

Testosterone levels decrease in people who drink alcohol excessively, as well as in smokers.

The level of testosterone in men becomes lower and at the age of 50-60, they become less aggressive and are more willing to babysit children or their other relatives.

Male hormones, among which testosterone holds the leading place, are not suitable for use in agriculture- Well, who needs a muscular cow or a pig? But steroids, male hormones, are actively used by athletes in order to quickly build muscle mass. This is done not only by men, but also by women. However, both those and others pay for the use of steroids with hormonal disorders.

"General" hormones

Androgens (including testosterone) in the female body are produced in small quantities in the ovaries and adrenal glands. In some diseases, the level of androgens in the blood of a woman rises, which causes increased body hair growth, a lowering of the voice. Therefore, if you, dear ladies, are concerned about the amount of hair in various parts of the body and their location, contact an endocrinologist for complete peace of mind - he will explain what is the norm and what is a deviation from the norm. Do not be afraid in vain: a certain degree of hairiness is inherent in quite healthy women.

DATA:

During menopause, a woman's levels of the female hormone estrogen decrease and testosterone levels rise. At the age of 45-50, a woman can become more independent and decisive than before and discover the ability for entrepreneurial activity. Among the disadvantages of such a surprise of nature are the likelihood of facial hair growth in a woman, a tendency to stress and an increased likelihood of developing a stroke.

The situation becomes critical

Between the 21st and 28th days monthly cycle the level of female hormones in the blood drops sharply, which leads to the appearance acute symptoms depression, known as "menstrual tension (MN)". It is these days that can rightly be called critical. It is no coincidence that most women feel in this phase, to put it mildly, not in the best way. It is during this period that women become irritable, aggressive, tired, whiny; many have disturbed sleep, headaches intensify; some even become depressed; some develop acne, pain in the lower abdomen, engorgement of the mammary glands, swelling of the legs and face, constipation, increases arterial pressure with headaches to nausea and vomiting. This is due to an excess (estrogen) or deficiency (progesterone) of the hormones. Something similar happens in menopause(usually at 40 or just after 50): A woman undergoes significant psychological, emotional and hormonal changes.

Hormones and sex

It is known that hormones and sex are closely related to each other. First of all, sex contributes to the production of endorphins - the so-called "happiness hormones". And they, among many effects, also have an analgesic effect. Therefore, if a tooth hurts, it's time to have sex. (By the way, sex, like intense physical activity, improves blood circulation in the body, including in the oral cavity. This makes gums healthier and prevents many dental problems.) And that's not all. Regular sexual activity also releases hormones such as adrenaline and cortisone, which stimulate the brain and prevent migraines.

Doctors believe that sex increases our ability to focus, stimulates attention and creative thinking. In addition, sexual activity prolongs life: those who make love regularly (at least 2 times a week) live much longer than those who remember sex less than once a month.

Be patient, you are men!

The male sex hormone testosterone helps to endure pain. As American scientists have established, it reduces the level of discomfort, making a person less susceptible to pain, contributing to the production of natural painkillers - enkephalins. True, so far it has been possible to demonstrate the correctness of this statement only in experiments on sparrows.

Family matters

Relationships in the family are also subject to hormones. Moreover, it is important in what proportion the levels of testosterone in the spouses are combined.

It turns out that men with below average testosterone levels in the blood feel great in marriage with women who have the same hormone - above average levels. Such a wife perfectly supports her husband, has a more flexible psyche and understands her husband better - after all, a high level of testosterone makes a person more assertive, and this can be expressed both in aggression and in the desire to help loved ones. If, for example, both spouses have a level below the average, then there is a positive point here - they are more positive when discussing family problems.

Combining all the data, the scientists came to a revolutionary conclusion - before you get married, find out the level of the male hormone in yourself and your chosen one. Otherwise, how will you solve problems?

Magazine "Healthy Family"

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if your head hurts, maybe you haven't had sex for a long time 👼

The human body is a complex system that works like clockwork. One of the important components of the human body system are hormones. These are special chemicals that are produced by special cells that are necessary for metabolism.

They are produced in the body a large number of they affect human health and life. If this flow is not controlled, then an imbalance and serious disruption of the body can occur.

Male hormones androgens

There are male hormones - androgens, which are responsible for the growth of hair, bones and metabolism. The main male hormone is testosterone, which is synthesized in the testicles and adrenal glands. It is an important and necessary element of the male body. It is he who is responsible for the structure of the male body and all the signs of the male principle. It is also the hormone that affects the activity of sexual desire.

Causes of an excess of androgens in the female body

Today, an excess of the male hormone in the female body indicates health problems. There are the following reasons for the appearance of male hormones:

• the likelihood of inheritance - problems with the work of the glands of the mother can be passed on to her child;
• nervous stress and other neuropsychiatric diseases;
• the lack of communication between testosterone and protein contributes to an increase in the level of this hormone;
• disorders of the body's metabolic processes that affect the release of hormones from the body.

Symptoms of hormonal imbalance

Manifestations and consequences of this disease:

• rashes on the skin of the body - due to disruption of the sebaceous glands, the level of fat in the body is increased, and the skin becomes problematic (pimples, blackheads and other irritations);
• deterioration nervous system- hormonal imbalance affects the activity of the brain of a woman, which leads to a disorder of the nervous system (neurasthenia, depression, stress);
• problems with the genitals (failure of the menstrual cycle, internal bleeding, lack of ovulation);
• increased hair growth on the arms, legs and the appearance of bald patches like in men;
• appearance of male external signs(growth muscle mass, developed shoulders, breast reduction, sexual activity, voice change);
• weight gain;
• increased sweating due to the activity of the gonads.

The influence of androgens also negatively affects the pregnancy of women. Violations are manifested not only in the body of the expectant mother, but in the body of the unborn child. During the pregnancy itself, the mother-to-be may face problems bearing the fetus and childbirth. This excess can lead to complications in the development of pregnancy and the fetus itself.

These are the very signs of the development of hormonal failure in women, which add a lot of problems and inconvenience to the representatives of the weaker sex. An increase in hormones in the body can also lead to the development of dangerous diseases. The most common ailments that are observed in these women are diabetes and infertility.

Hormonal failure of the female body can adversely affect couples who want to have a baby. Male hormones also nullify any woman's desire to have sex. In this case, all the same hormones can help, but only female ones, which restore balance and return the feminine to her.

Women who want to succeed in a sports career often face hormonal imbalances in their bodies. They have high testosterone levels. The skeleton changes immediately, muscles appear, they become strong and rigid. The weaker sex with such willpower and sports anger in a sports career immediately achieve results.

Some women, having noticed such changes in themselves, want to return everything to its place, but those women who benefit from such a state in life do not want to change anything. But you don't need to do this, because excess hormones can lead to serious diseases.

Forms of hormonal failure

If a woman gives free rein to male hormones, they can provoke endocrine, mammological and gynecological diseases. The most common disease is hyperandrogenism. This is a specific pathology in which a woman has an excess of male sex hormones.

All diseases associated with an excess of hormones have different forms:

• adrenal - cause of occurrence: tumor or hyperplasia of the adrenal glands;
• ovarian - cause of occurrence: polycystic ovaries;
• pituitary - the result of a disease of the pituitary gland;
• metabolic - the cause of occurrence: metabolic disorders in the skin.

Diagnostics

Women who have discovered symptoms of this disease should contact specialized medical institutions for qualified help. Only an experienced doctor will help normalize the level of hormones in the body.

To determine the form of development of this disease, it is necessary to undergo a thorough diagnosis. Modern methods and possibilities of diagnostic procedures make it possible to determine the level of male hormones in women. There are two types of surveys.

Primary diagnosis

This is the initial examination, which is a visual examination of the patient's body and the collection of all necessary analyzes. On this examination, the doctor may identify the following disorders:

• menstrual disorders;
• reproductive system disorders;
• violations of the endocrine-metabolic system;
• other comorbidities.

If the form is initial and the patient immediately asked for help, then soon the increased hormones of the woman will be in order.

Secondary diagnostics

Basically, this examination is carried out to clarify the diagnosis.

• the patient undergoes additional tests for hormones;
• ultrasound of the pelvic organs is performed;
• Ultrasound of the mammary glands;
• examination of the pituitary and adrenal glands.

To clarify the final diagnosis and treatment, it may be necessary to consult other specialists.

After the patient has been diagnosed and the level of hormones has been determined, a treatment for elevated hormone levels is prescribed, which directly depends on the reasons that provoked it.

Treatment

Treatment of hormonal imbalance mainly proceeds as follows:

• the appointment of drug treatment or physiotherapy exercises aimed at eliminating the symptoms of pathology;
• hormone therapy - good way adjust the hormonal background (not always effective and efficient);
• surgical treatment - laparoscopy, removal of the uterus, surgical intervention;
• diet is a good way to normalize hormonal levels ( proper nutrition is the best prevention of such diseases).

Hormone problems are an unpleasant, sometimes terrible disease that affects millions of women. The imbalance of hormones does not tolerate self-treatment, therefore, it is necessary to normalize the correct process immediately after the symptoms are detected. It is important to consider that before you start looking for a doctor and treatment, you need to stop exercising and be sure to quit smoking. And ideally, to undergo examinations on the 6th day of the menstrual cycle.

However, some hormones still prevail more in men (hence their name - male sex hormones, or androgens), and some, on the contrary, in women are female sex hormones (or estrogens).

In a nutshell, androgens should ensure the development of the male body type, the growth of muscle mass, the low timbre of the voice, and the functioning of the genital organs.

But estrogens set the female body type - the development of the mammary glands, the menstrual cycle, the possibility of pregnancy, and so on.

In men, up to 80% of all sex hormones are androgens, the rest is estrogen. In women, everything is exactly the opposite: 20-25% androgens (mainly testosterone) and 75-80% estrogens.

With an imbalance of this ratio, a person develops serious disorders.

MAIN SIGNS OF SEX HORMONES DISTURBANCES

Among women:

Acne rashes on the face

Menstrual disorders (more than 35 days or less than 21 days)

Sudden hair loss or vice versa their excess (hypertrichosis)

Increased sweating

mood swings

Constant fatigue, lack of energy

Problems with conception and gestation

For men:

A sharp decrease in muscle mass and strength

Decreased sexual function and desire

Overweight

Hair reduction

Increase mammary glands on female type(gynecomastia)

Sex hormones are produced mainly by the gonads - the testicles in men and the ovaries in women. And from the very moment of conception, not only the development of the genital organs in the embryo is determined, but subsequently secondary sexual characteristics (for example, the appearance of a beard or muscles in men and the special structure of the figure in women), as well as the development of the reproductive system and the formation of specific behavioral reactions.

Among all sex hormones, estradiol and progesterone have the greatest influence on the state and functioning of the female reproductive system, and testosterone on the male system (see below). And, as mentioned above, it is very important that their concentration is correct in the body, otherwise the treatment of most hormonal disorders is not a quick and cheap process.

That is why prevention is so important in the issue of hormones: you need to regularly visit an endocrinologist and gynecologist and control the balance of hormones in the blood. Such diagnostics can be done in medical laboratories.

In Russia, a large network of laboratories throughout the country has a federal-scale diagnostic center "Hemotest" - more than 500 departments throughout the country. In them you can make an analysis for all hormones known to modern medicine, including sex hormones.

Serological examinations are carried out in the department of automated examinations of the "Laboratory Gemotest".

However, do not forget that all human body are interconnected, and both one hormone and several hormones can influence the functioning of organs. Moreover, the functioning of some hormones is influenced by others (for example, Luteinizing hormone is responsible for stimulating the production of androgens and estrogens, when its concentration rises, the above hormones “suffer”, and therefore the person as a whole).

Therefore, it is best to donate blood to check the hormonal background as a complex. And women still need to take into account the phase of their menstrual cycle (follicular or luteal).

A small educational program: follicular phase begins on the first day of bleeding, lasts until ovulation is always 14 days (approximately until the middle of the cycle). During this period, the follicle with the egg matures in the ovaries, and estrogens are intensively produced. Whereas luteal phase comes after ovulation - so called because in Latin "corpus luteum" means "yellow body". This is a hormonally active tissue that remains in place of the follicle. This phase lasts an average of 14 days, during this period the concentration of progesterone increases. Accordingly, in different phases of the cycle, the indicators of the same hormones can differ significantly.

Several diagnostic complexes have been created in the Gemotest laboratory:

ON A NOTE

Estradiol (the most active hormone from the estrogen group, responsible for the formation of sexual characteristics, protecting blood vessels from cholesterol plaques, maintaining bone strength; with problems with estradiol, a woman experiences irritability, skin problems, pain during menstruation, hair loss begins, weight problems.

Progesterone (prepares the body for pregnancy and helps in bearing the fetus, with an insufficient amount of this hormone or its excess, menstrual irregularities, bloating, soreness of the mammary glands, vaginal bleeding, mood swings can develop).

Testosterone (supports spermatogenesis in men, is necessary to maintain libido and potency, in women it provides growth of pubic and axillary hair, increases sexual desire. An increase in testosterone levels in the female body can cause problems during gestation).

Many of the things that women use in training and dieting for weight loss come from research on men, from the practice of male athletes and male trainers, who are the majority in sports. For female athletes, these approaches can be not only ineffective, but also harmful.

How are men different from women?

On average, women have more fat than men, and its distribution in the body is also different: in men, it is deposited in the abdomen, and in women, more often in the lower body.

Metabolism is also slightly different - both sexes use proteins, carbohydrates and fats slightly differently - at rest, after meals and during exercise. Women's energy homeostasis, unlike men's, is tuned to maintain weight and protect against fat loss.

Women have wider hips, which slightly alters the biomechanics of the knee joint, predisposing them to certain types of injury.

As a rule, women are more flexible and have more mobile joints.

Women have less muscle. And although they are no different in structure from men, there are differences in how they generate strength or fatigue in response to stress. On average, female athletes perform about 10% lower than male athletes in most sports. Although they usually start at lower levels of fitness, they respond to training in a similar way.

But the most important difference between women and men is in hormones. Unlike men, a woman's hormones change every month, which affects physiology and adds complexity that is simply not seen in men.

Before puberty, the differences between boys and girls are small. But it is during puberty, when the reproductive system begins to work actively, that fundamental physiological differences between the sexes arise. Perhaps the greatest biological difference between women and men is in the relative amount of primary reproductive hormones. In women it is estrogen and progesterone, in men it is testosterone. At the same time, both sexes produce all three hormones, but the amount is very different. On average, women's testosterone levels are between 1/10 and 1/30 of men's, and men have equally low levels of both estrogen and progesterone.

Under the influence of estrogen, women begin to increase the amount of fat in the body with a predominance of it in the lower body. The female body genetically has more preadipocytes (something like "baby" fat cells) in the lower body. They become full-fledged fat cells just during puberty under the influence of hormones (). Men, on the other hand, are under the influence of testosterone and develop more muscle mass by losing fat.

Even small changes in a woman's testosterone levels can dramatically affect her physiology, making her more masculine, and this effect is even more pronounced in those who use anabolic steroids.

Prenatal action of hormones

In fact, the differences in the action of sex hormones lie even deeper. Diet, Environment and other factors that a pregnant woman is exposed to can radically affect the fetus and future disease risks, including obesity and diabetes (,). It does not depend on the sex of the child, and can equally occur in both men and women.

But maternal testosterone and estrogen levels can also affect the fetus. The levels of estrogen and testosterone to which he is exposed in utero not only play a huge role in his physiology, but can also influence the masculinizing or feminizing effect that will manifest itself later in life.

Prenatal hormonal expression is manifested in the so-called finger index - the ratio of the length of the index finger to the ring finger. Under the influence of high levels of testosterone in the womb, the index finger is usually shorter than the ring finger (male pattern). When exposed to lower levels of testosterone, the index finger is equal to or longer than the ring finger (female pattern)().

This indicator can predict different factors- body weight, waist-to-hip ratio and health risks (). It may be associated with better athlete performance in sports that require higher levels of aggression and other masculine traits ().

A woman exposed to relatively more testosterone in the womb may develop more "masculine" traits both in terms of physiology and behavior (aggression, thrill seeking and attention seeking (). The same thing happens in men: exposed to less testosterone, they may develop more "feminine" physiology and behavior patterns.

Both sexes with a "masculine" pattern have more masculine faces, which is a bonus in terms of attractiveness for men ( ,), in contrast to women with masculine features (). But for a more masculine facial structure and other “masculine” features, some coaches select girls in high sports, since it is believed that this is an indicator of a higher level of testosterone and chances of success in sports ().

It is assumed that the ratio of the length of the fingers interacts with the hormones of an adult. For example, women who were injected with testosterone showed increased levels of aggression and worse empathy (as traditionally male behavior) only if they had an initially "male" finger ratio ().

The eating disorder compulsive overeating is more common in women. This is believed to be due to low androgen exposure before birth, which puts a woman at risk during puberty when estrogen levels rise ().

All this creates a very interactive picture. Prenatal exposure to hormones can have a masculinizing or feminizing effect in terms of physiology, body structure, and personality traits. This leads to the fact that people prefer certain activities and achieve success in them.

About the difficulties of research on women

Most of the research in sports and diet has previously been done on men. The presence of the menstrual cycle makes research on women very difficult. Estrogen and progesterone rise, fall, overlap, and interact, and it's hard for scientists to figure out exactly which of these affects the outcome.

Often scientists use animal experiments, where it is easier to control hormone levels, but these results cannot always be transferred to humans (sometimes things work the opposite way in humans). Another approach is to inject female hormones (usually estrogen) into the man to control the outcome. This often works, but not always (for example, increasing testosterone levels in women has the opposite effect of what is seen in men).

Sometimes scientists completely stop hormone production in women, then inject estrogen, progesterone, or a combination of the two to precisely control the outcome, and in last years the picture became much clearer.

In addition to fluctuations in the level of hormones during the cycle, in women there are so-called "hormonal modifiers" that change the picture of a normal cycle and complicate everything even more. For example, it may last longer than normal (oligomenorrhea) or disappear completely (amenorrhea). A woman can drink birth control pills, which are the most different forms and types, each of which may act slightly differently. Many women suffer from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which is usually characterized by higher testosterone levels. And then there is subclinical hyperandrogenism, when testosterone levels in women are higher than normal without any specific disease.

Further, the physiology of a woman changes at menopause, when the reproductive function stops working. There is peri-menopause (which is divided into early and late stages) and menopause itself. Everything can change here, depending on whether a woman will use hormone replacement therapy or not, and if so, which combination of hormones.

All these situations subtly or not very subtly change the physiology of a woman, and research needs to take this into account. For example, pre-menopausal women should be compared to the same women as post-menopausal women. Users of oral contraceptives should be studied separately and compared with the same OC users. The options are endless.

Why is it important?

Many women are not familiar with the terms that are described above, the phases of their menstrual cycle, their hormones, and even more so how they change physiology beyond the doctor and health issues. And if it remains unclear to them how this all affects diet, nutrition, weight loss or training, men all the more have no idea about it. This has several consequences.

Obviously, a woman should not use all the methods that men use when it comes to diet, exercise and fat loss. Of course, there are common things in both diet and training, but the whole specificity is how exactly they are applied, and this can differ in men and women. Women may face problems that men simply do not know. For example, some women during their cycle have different coordination, strength and endurance in training. This means that their program may need to be adjusted to better sync with the menstrual cycle.

This is a problem as the sport has traditionally been dominated by men. They know how to train themselves and other men. But some of their approaches can be harmful for women, and this is especially true in competitive bodybuilding, where strategies for gaining muscle and burning fat to a minimal percentage of body fat were originally developed for men. For example, men even during an aggressive diet have more calories. This allows them to avoid some of the problems faced by female athletes who do not have enough calories to diet to get enough protein, fat and carbohydrates to maintain health and effective training. This fact is usually completely ignored by the majority.

One of the dirty little secrets of female bodybuilding is the use of anabolic steroids, which help to achieve the desired shape for the competition and avoid the problems that "natural" women face. Because “anabolic” female athletes are successful, they have the ability to broadcast to more people how to diet and train. This gives women who are not professional athletes and do not use steroids a very poor idea of ​​how they should approach their diet or training.

All of the above is complicated by the fact that two women can be different from each other and any woman can see differences in herself from month to month.

One may see that her strength and stamina change during the cycle, while the other does not. Mood changes to last week cycle and all the symptoms of PMS are unbearable for some and almost invisible for others. And, again, “hormonal modifiers” further alter the physiology and add another layer of complexity that no male trainer training male will ever face.

To be continued…