I haven’t been blogging much lately. Truth is, I haven’t felt like an authoritative runner for a while, at least not in the way I used to. I’ve still been lacing up, still getting out the door, still ticking off miles here and there… but something shifted. Something I couldn’t quite name at first, even though deep down, I think I already knew.

My running had changed, and not in a subtle, “one bad run” kind of way. In this article, I examine why you might be finding running through menopause so hard, what the science says and the sources of help that exist.

This is Running Through Menopause

My half-marathon PB of 1:43 drifted into a 1:58 grind on my best day. My once comfortable 22:40 5K? Overnight, it became 27 minutes on a good day. The long, happy, muddy off-road miles I loved turned into short, functional road runs where the goal was no longer joy — it was “let’s just get this over with.”

Now, I know some of you will be thinking these times aren’t bad at all, and wondering what I’m moaning about. I see plenty of women out there running faster than me who’ve faced the same challenges and are frustrated with times I’d be more than happy with — but that’s the thing, it’s all relative. If you’re usually a 30-minute parkrunner and suddenly find yourself struggling to hit 35, you’ll know exactly how that feels. When I talk about being frustrated with my times, it’s not about comparison, it’s about how I feel when I run. It’s never about diminishing anyone else’s achievements.

Every time I lined up for a race, I hoped this would be the day it clicked again. And occasionally I’d get that one rare run where things felt a little lighter. But most days? My heart rate was sky-high on what should have been easy runs. My legs felt like strangers. My confidence dipped. The spark fizzled.

And the entire time, a quiet voice kept whispering the thing I didn’t want to admit:

This is menopause.

The Reality I Didn’t Want to Face

Perimenopause doesn’t arrive with a neat checklist or a polite calendar invitation. It creeps. It nudges. It steals little things until you realise it’s taken quite a lot.

I tried everything in the way most runners do:

  • HRT — nothing changed
  • Losing weight — still sluggish
  • Vitamins — some tiny improvements
  • Cycling, swimming, weights – building my strength in other areas – no improvement
  • More discipline, more miles, more pushing — actually made it worse

And finally, you have to accept the frustrating fact  – This isn’t a lack of effort. This is physiology.

Yesterday, I turned 50, and for the first time, I actually feel ready to talk about what running through menopause really looks like — not the glossy “stronger than ever” version we see online, but the real, raw, bumpy one most women don’t say out loud. For me, I am a few years into perimenopause – currently on the cusp of it becoming ‘menopause’ – before we go any further, let’s explain the difference.

Perimenopause vs Menopause – A quick breakdown

Perimenopause is the transitional phase leading up to menopause, when hormone levels — especially oestrogen — start to fluctuate. This stage can last several years and is often when women first notice changes in mood, motivation, energy, sleep, and how their running feels. Menopause, on the other hand, is reached when you’ve gone 12 months without a period — it’s a single point in time, not a long phase. You might find yourself in either stage depending on your age, symptoms, cycle changes, or how your body responds to shifting hormones. Many women don’t realise they’re in perimenopause until the symptoms start impacting daily life — including their running.

So What Actually Happens to Runners in Perimenopause & Menopause?

Here’s the part I wish someone had told me sooner.

Your Heart Rate Often Goes Up (Even on Easy Runs)

One of the most common and confusing changes during perimenopause is a noticeable increase in heart rate — both at rest and during exercise. You might find yourself wondering, “Why am I at 170bpm on an easy run?” The answer lies in what’s happening hormonally.

Falling oestrogen levels affect several key systems that regulate how efficiently your body responds to exercise. Oestrogen plays a major role in thermoregulation, blood vessel elasticity, and fluid balance. As levels drop, your body becomes less effective at dissipating heat, maintaining stable blood pressure, and distributing oxygen.

At the same time, fluctuations in oestrogen and progesterone influence the autonomic nervous system — the mechanism that controls your heart rate. With less oestrogen, the sympathetic (“fight or flight”) response can dominate, meaning your heart rate rises more quickly and stays elevated longer, even during what used to feel like an easy effort.

A 2021 review published in the Journal of Women’s Health confirmed that perimenopausal women often experience higher resting and exercise heart rates and reduced cardiovascular efficiency as oestrogen declines. [1]

In other words, your body is literally working harder to do the same thing — and that elevated heart rate isn’t just in your head. It’s a natural physiological response to hormonal change, and understanding it can help you adapt your training with more compassion and awareness rather than frustration. This has been happening to me more and more of late – I can literally be running an easy 11-minute mile with a 160-170 HR – usually this wouldn’t happen to me until later in a long run or during a race.

Your Recovery Gets Slower

You might notice that the soreness lasts longer, or that back-to-back training days feel harder to bounce back from than they used to. This isn’t in your head — declining oestrogen levels genuinely affect how your body recovers from exercise.

Oestrogen has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It helps limit muscle damage, reduce oxidative stress, and speed up tissue repair after training. When oestrogen drops during perimenopause and beyond, the balance tips the other way: the inflammatory response to exercise becomes stronger and longer-lasting. As a result, muscles take longer to heal and adapt.

Lower oestrogen also reduces glycogen storage — the way your muscles hold onto carbohydrates for energy. With less stored glycogen, your post-run fatigue can hit harder, and it may take more time (and nutrition) to replenish energy stores. Combine that with disrupted sleep, another common perimenopausal symptom, and recovery can feel noticeably slower.

A 2020 study published in Frontiers in Physiology found that postmenopausal athletes experienced significantly delayed post-exercise muscle recovery compared to premenopausal women, supporting the idea that hormonal changes directly affect exercise adaptation and repair [2].

The takeaway? Recovery is not just about training load or effort — it’s about physiology. As oestrogen levels shift, your body needs more time, more rest, and better recovery strategies to perform at its best. That means prioritising sleep, hydration, protein, magnesium, and omega-3s, and not being afraid to scale back intensity when your body asks for it.

Translation: you’re not imagining the heavy-legged fatigue that doesn’t match the mileage.

Speed Declines — Even if Training Stays the Same

Oestrogen plays a vital role in neuromuscular function and the recruitment of fast-twitch (Type II) muscle fibres, which are essential for speed, strength, and explosive movement. When oestrogen levels decline, the communication between nerves and muscles becomes less efficient, leading to slower motor unit firing and reduced power output. This hormonal shift can make high-intensity exercise feel harder and affect overall performance, even when training habits stay consistent.

A 2015 review by Sipilä, Finni and Kovanen titled “Estrogen Influences on Neuromuscular Function in Postmenopausal Women” [3] found that lower oestrogen levels are associated with reduced muscle strength, power, and neuromuscular system integrity in women. The research highlights how hormonal changes can impact both muscle fibre quality and recruitment efficiency — helping to explain why many women experience a noticeable drop in speed or explosiveness during perimenopause and beyond.

This explains those PBs drifting further away, even when the effort feels the same.

Sleep Disruption = Performance Disruption

Hot flushes, night sweats, anxiety, and fluctuating hormones all interfere with sleep quality during perimenopause and menopause. Poor sleep doesn’t just leave you tired, it directly affects performance by raising perceived exertion, lowering VO₂ max, and slowing recovery.

Oestrogen and progesterone play key roles in temperature regulation and nervous system balance, so when their levels fluctuate, sleep becomes more fragmented and less restorative. The result is a body that feels heavier, slower, and less resilient — even when training hasn’t changed.

A 2022 meta-analysis published in Sleep Medicine Reviews (Zhong et al., 2022) found that sleep disturbance strongly predicts reduced endurance performance in middle-aged female athletes, highlighting just how crucial quality rest is for sustaining energy, recovery, and consistency in training. [4]

Mental Mojo Drops (Sometimes Before Fitness Does)

Motivation changes. Confidence dips. Runs feel harder, less joyful.
This isn’t weakness — it’s neurochemistry.

As oestrogen levels decline, the brain’s chemistry shifts too. Oestrogen helps regulate serotonin (your mood stabiliser), dopamine (your motivation and reward driver), and cortisol (your stress hormone). When those systems wobble, everything — from your energy to your enthusiasm for running — can feel “off.”

It’s not that you’re suddenly less disciplined or less capable.
Your brain is genuinely running into a hormonal headwind.

And acknowledging that isn’t defeat — it’s the first step to running with your physiology, not against it.

But There’s Something Else Too… We’re Not Alone

If your motivation has shifted, your confidence has dipped, or you’re wondering why running suddenly feels heavier, you’re far from the only one. Countless women experience the same changes as their hormones fluctuate, but most think they’re the only ones struggling while running through menopause. They’re not.

What you’re feeling is shared, normal, and valid. Other runners are fighting the same invisible battle — the foggier mornings, the mood swings, the “why does this feel so much harder?” runs. They just don’t always talk about it.

But the truth is this: you’re part of a community of women navigating the same terrain. And there is nothing wrong with you. You’re not failing. You’re adapting.

When we acknowledge this together, the shame lifts, the pressure eases, and we can focus on finding strategies that actually support us — mentally, physically, and hormonally. You don’t have to figure this out alone.

If You’re Going Through This Too

Here’s what I’m slowly learning:

  • I am not lazy.
  • I am not losing fitness overnight.
  • I am not broken.
    And I am absolutely not alone.

You’re running through one of the biggest physiological transitions of your life — one that affects your mood, motivation, energy, sleep, and recovery.

And still… You lace up. You show up. You keep going in whatever way you can.

That counts.
That’s strength.
That’s courage.
And yes — that is more than enough.

And If You Need Support… There Is Help

You don’t have to figure this out alone or rely on guesswork. There are trusted, evidence-based places to turn to:

• NHS – Menopause & Perimenopause
Clear, medically reviewed advice on symptoms, treatments, and lifestyle changes.

• Women’s Health Concern (WHC)
Friendly, factual information about hormones, mood, and exercise.

• Balance Menopause (Dr. Louise Newson)
Articles, podcasts, symptom trackers, and expert explanations that actually make sense.

• The Menopause Charity
Reliable guidance on managing symptoms and understanding what’s happening in your body.

You can also speak with:
• A GP or menopause-trained doctor
• Women’s health physios
• Nutritionists specialising in hormones
• Running coaches who understand perimenopause/menopause-friendly training

Support exists. Community exists.

You don’t have to run this part of the journey on your own.

 

References

  1. Santoro N. Perimenopause: From Research to Practice. J Womens Health. 2016 Apr;25(4):332-9. DOI:10.1089/jwh.2015.5556.
  2. Pereira H.M., et al. 2020. “Menstrual Cycle Effects on Exercise-Induced Fatigability.” Frontiers in Physiology. 11:517. Available at: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2020.00517/full
  3. Sipilä, S., Finni, T., & Kovanen, V. (2015). Estrogen influences on neuromuscular function in postmenopausal women. Calcified Tissue International, 96(3), 222–233. DOI: 10.1007/s00223-014-9924-x.
  4. Kong Y, Yu B, Guan G, Wang Y, He H. Effects of sleep deprivation on sports performance and perceived exertion in athletes and non-athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Physiol. 2025 Apr 1;16:1544286. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2025.1544286. PMID: 40236824; PMCID: PMC11996801.