If you've had menstrual spotting after exercise, it might seem pretty alarming, even if it involved only a tiny amount of blood. However, some women report this type of spotting or breakthrough bleeding following exercise, especially heavy exercise, and it's probably not dangerous, according to the fitness magazine FitSugar. In fact, spotting for all reasons--not just after exercise--seems to occur in around 10 percent of women, according to the Centre for for Menstrual Cycle and Ovulation Research.
Basics of Spotting
During the menstrual cycle, your body prepares for ovulation and then implantation of a fertilized egg by building a thick uterine lining, according to McKinley Health Center at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champlain. If you don't get pregnant, then your body sheds that thick lining during menstruation. Spotting, considered a menstrual irregularity, can occur due to hormonal changes, physical changes in your reproductive organs, exercise or even stress.
Spotting Details
Intense exercise can trigger menstrual spotting, according to the Centre for Menstrual Cycle and Ovulation Research. In a study performed at the research center on 66 women, very young women who started an intense exercise routine and who lost weight suffered more frequently from spotting than other women. The spotting usually occurred immediately before the women started their periods.
Intensity
If you've just recently started spotting after exercise, it could indicate that your workouts are too intense, according to the fitness magazine FitSugar. Although losing your period altogether results more frequently from intense exercise than menstrual spotting, both show that your body might need a rest, and you should dial back your exercise schedule some to see if the spotting disappears.
Considerations
In most cases, lessening the intensity of your workouts should solve your menstrual spotting problem. But if your menstrual spotting after exercise continues or gets worse, make an appointment to see your obstetrician-gynecologist for a complete checkup. You could be suffering from a medical disorder, such as diabetes or uterine polyps, that requires treatment, according to Northshore University Health System.
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