Pill Could Affect Your Workout :: Wessex Scene Online

Pill Could Affect Your Workout

Yet more side-effects to mainstream medicines

28th May 2009
Kate Sloyan

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New findings suggest that taking the contraceptive pill may alter the effectiveness of exercise.

As with any drug, there are possible side effects to taking the pill. These range from the nuisance (irregular periods) to the bizarre (opinion of male body odour can, apparently, change if you start a course). The new study, published by the American Physiological Society, has added to this list, suggesting that taking the pill can slow down muscle gain in young women.

73 women aged 18-31 were selected for the 10 week study, around half of whom regularly take the pill. Both groups (pill-taking and control) completed a resistance training course, carrying out various exercises three times a week, including chest press, leg extension and abdominal crunch. Although some responses were similar for the two groups, the gain in muscle mass was significantly less for the women taking the pill. This was associated with much lower levels of anabolic, or muscle-building, hormone.

While the researchers are reportedly surprised at the size of the differences – the control group gained more than 60% greater muscle mass than the pill-taking group – it’s not completely conclusive. More study is needed into this area before the reason for the difference can be properly understood.

Of course, no-one reacts to the pill, to any drug, in exactly the same way, and this study is still only talking about a relatively small group of women. It’s easy to jump to conclusions and to play up the negative aspects, particularly when dealing with a product that’s so important and so widely used.

It’s ultimately up to us to make the decisions about what works for our bodies. After all, there’s a major potential side effect to avoiding the pill too.