Could the Pill Be Affecting Your Workout Results?

By , SparkPeople Blogger
If you take the oral contraceptives and are trying to build muscle, a new study shows it could be negatively affecting your results. Researchers studied 73 women between the ages of 18 and 31 who completed a 10-week strength training program. About half of the women took the pill and half did not. The results showed a significant difference in the increase of lean muscle between the two groups.

Participants followed the same 3-day per week exercise program. They were also encouraged to eat a half a gram of protein per pound of body weight daily to ensure they were getting enough calories and protein to aid in muscle building. At the end of the study, the women who did not take birth control pills gained 60% more muscle than those who did.

Blood samples showed that women on the pill had lower levels of testosterone (a muscle-building hormone) and higher levels of cortisol (which can result in a decrease of muscle tissue.) It's not exactly clear why this happens, or if there's anything a person on the medication can do to counteract the effect. But if you've not been seeing the results you'd expect from your exercise program and you're on the pill, this could be a reason why.

If you currently use oral contraceptives, do you notice a difference in your progress since you started taking them? If you no longer use them, do you notice a difference since you stopped? Are you surprised by these results?