The Pill May Impair Muscle Gains In Younger Women

Jacksonville – The contraceptive pill may regulate a young woman’s menstrual cycle, but it also seems to impair their development of muscle mass by lowering needed hormones. These were the findings of a study announced at the 122nd meeting of the American Physiological Society recently held as part of the 2009 Experimental Biology conference in New Orleans.

The study was done with taking blood samples of 73 healthy women volunteers aged 18 – 31 who went through a 10 week program of strength training and a healthy, protein-rich diet. The only difference in the two groups was that one group of 34 women took an oral contraceptive while the other 39 didn’t. The group that did take the pill had 60% less muscle mass development that the group that didn’t.

Blood samples were taken before and after the ten week program. In the group that did take the pill, they appeared to have much less of the three hormones that assist in building muscles. However, this is the first study of its kind and researchers say that more studies need to be done in order to determine that oral contraceptives are entirely the reason for the lack of muscle mass.

The study still is significant enough to warrant the attention of female athletes or those young women who want to gain strength. Firefighting exams in the United States, for example, require a female firefighter to be able meet certain requirements for upper body strength. Athletes and female firefighters may be advised in the near future to talk to their doctors about picking another contraceptive choice rather than the pill.

However, researchers note, the pill does have many health benefits for women, including regulating the menstrual cycle, helping to provide protection against certain cancers and by eliminating unwanted pregnancies. For women who do not want or need to gain muscle mass, this study may not affect them.