Motherhood Makes Female Athletes Stronger

In the past, if a younger girl beat me to the finish line, my standby excuse was, "Well, she doesn't have two kids."  However, recent studies show that having children might in fact, improve athletic performance.

Ever since Fanny Blankers-Koen, a Dutch housewife and mother of two, won four gold medals at the 1948 Olympics, motherhood has proven golden for athletes.

While I was raising my sons and juggling a training schedule, Liz McColgan, Lisa Ondieki, Gwen Torrence and Evelyn Ashford won medals at the Barcelona games, and my excuse quickly lost all credibility. Ingrid Kristiansen, who set world records during her career, ran her fastest marathon just five months after giving birth.

American Jenny Spangler became a mother as she approached her 40th birthday.  In an attempt to juggle the new responsibilities of motherhood and training, she opted to log countless miles on her home treadmill.  That alone requires discipline and mental toughness.  Spangler reemerged as the third fastest qualifier for the upcoming Olympic Marathon.

"In Eastern European countries they like their female athletes to have a child, or preferably two, as it makes them better competitors," says Dr. Craig Sharp, consultant to the British Olympic team.

Pregnancy provides every mother, especially athletes, with physical benefits such as high vitamin retention. Distance runners benefit from a 25- to 30-percent increase in blood volume that accompanies pregnancy.

"If an athlete gets back into training shortly after childbirth, she can maintain those higher levels of enriched blood," says Sharp.

A recent American study also showed that women who began training after childbirth could benefit from increased max VO2, the maximum amount of oxygen the body can process during exercise.

After training until the last month of pregnancy, Britain's McClogan, the world 10,000 meters champion, resumed running just days after giving birth to her daughter.  Within three months, she was winning races again.

Likewise, Sue Olsen, a nationally ranked ultra marathoner, ran through her entire pregnancy at 38 years old.  At 8 1/2 months, she ran the Grandma's Marathon in 4 hours and a week later finished a 63-mile ultra race.   The following day, she delivered a healthy baby boy.

If you continue to run throughout your pregnancy, you will very likely maintain your aerobic capacity and maybe even improve it.  Some believe that because of the extra weight, you have to expend extra effort in all activities, so pregnancy itself, is like exercise.

However, the extra weight toward the later part of your pregnancy puts additional stress on your joints as you run, so be careful.  The extra pounds also create imbalances in the hips and back.  Unless you have a strong race base, like Sue Olsen, it is wise to cut back on mileage and intensity to avoid injuries.  It's most important to first consult with your obstetrician and to always listen your body.  Be sensible.

Australian swimmer, Lisa Curry-Kenny, a mother of two who won four gold medals at the 1990 Commonwealth Games, says she thought having children cleaned her body out and stimulated hormones that otherwise would have lain dormant. Many female athletes think carrying a child for nine months strengthened their pelvis and legs, as well as muscle capacity.

While it is difficult for scientists to evaluate the exact physical benefits of childbirth, female athletes have no doubt about the psychological advantages. American runner Mary Decker-Slaney believes "the sheer pain of childbirth" made everything else she had suffered pale in comparison.

So, perhaps the old Nike adage, "No pain, no gain," will take on a new meaning for female athletes seeking innovative ways to get that extra edge on their competitors.

Then from the sidelines, an increasingly enthusiastic group of fans will yell, "Go, Mom!"

Cheryl McGinnis has a B.A. in English from Centre College, where she served as communications associate, cross-country coach and sports information director.  Cheryl was Kentucky's NCAA Woman of the Year (1993) and National Inspirational Athlete of the Year (1994).  She is a member of the 2004 USA Triathlon World Team and was named All-American in triathlon and duathlon (2003).  She is also a certified personal fitness specialist and spinning instructor and co-owner of RESOLUTIONS, a motivational company.  To contact Cheryl, call 502-228-0872 or email offrunnin@yahoo.com.