The Pill and Your Muscles
May 10, 2009 by Peggy Rowland
Filed under Women's Health
I never dreamed that birth control pills may affect my ability to gain muscle mass, but researchers are now claiming it’s possible.
Researchers from Texas A&M University and the University of Pittsburgh found that women not taking bcps gained 60% more muscle mass after a weight training program than those who were taking the pills.
Blood samples taken both before and after the training weeks revealed that the women taking bcps had lower levels of muscle-building hormones (like testosterone) and much higher levels of muscle-breaking hormones (like cortisol).
Although the study revealed that bcps have an effect on a woman’s ability to build lean muscle mass, more research is needed to understand why this happens.
The bcp study was presented at the American Physiological Society meeting in New Orleans last month.
Will these study results cause you to rethink your contraceptive choice?
(Image via stock.xchng)
