Could all the running I have been doing( every day 2 to 3 miles) cause me to miss my period?

Two to three miles is not an excessive amount of exercise. It does depend upon what your base fitness level is. For a highly fit person, three miles could be a warmup; for a couch potato, three miles would be a very hard workout.

You should be taking one to two days off each week to allow for your body to recover and build more muscle and increase capillaries.

I usually give myself one day off

Lady66:

You perviously mentioned dealing with back pain. Emotional stressors can cause back pain where there is no pathology. I imagine that sort of stress could affect the period.

Just a guess.

While I have not heard about this problem among runners (I mean missing period from daily 2-3 miles), but I did read many posts from people who have just started low carbing. Missing, late longer/shorter periods - all kinds of temporary changes. Usually after 2-3 months of low carbing these irregularities are disappearing.

According your profile you started low carbing in March, so ithe "culprit" could be the diet, and not the running.

Low body fat could be the culprit.

You are at the low end of normal for your weight and height. Low body weight and low body fat does play a part in women skipping their periods or losing their period all together.

I highly doubt it's the exercise. Stress may have a small part in it, but I bet you are losing it because your body thinks you are too skinny.

I haven't had my period for FIVE years, weird! My ob/gyn did all the tests and couldn't find anything hormonal, etc. It's a bit frightening, but they couldn't find anything. I didn't have it when I weighed 150 and I don't have it now that I weight 133... so it can't be the weight... my suspicion is the artificial sweetener in the diet Coke I drink.... it stopped when I started drinking that. Weird! But who knows. I sure save a lot of money on tampons, though

low body fat can cause missed periods!
Running 2-3 miles aday is not the reason.
In the past, when I have been below 13% bodyfat and ate a diet of absolutely NO FAT, then periods were messed up. Exercise 7 days a week and alot of running never caused problems.

p.s. if you are 5 foot 1 and not muscular, 100 pounds is good. ( to me)

If I didn't lift weights I would be 95-100 also.

I concur. I'm running ~30 miles most weeks and if anything mine are too frequent (every 20-23 days)...but I also have endo and think at age 34 that I may be bordering on early perimenopause. If low weight/bodyfat is causing periods to disappear it's simply the body's way to protect itself. One needs to have a minimum weight/bodyfat to be able to support a baby...they really are like little parasites (says the mom of a 6 year old boy, heh)...

i stopped my birth control in the early part of this year and havent gotten aperiod since then... im going BACK to the doc's in 2 weeks to figure out what's wrong... i run about 3 miles 5 days a week but i always have... so i doubt it is the running but i would love some input on the missed periods if anyone has some!

That is extremely frightening (assuming you are not close to menopause). Have you been tested for PCOS? Even though my period is a pain, I would be extremely worried if I hadn't had it for over 2 months, which has happened before.

Alot of gymnasts won't get their periods...alot of very athletic people with stop getting their periods. ( i did track through high school and college and only had my period like 2 times a year) then when i went back to high intensity workouts i lost the regularity in my period as well. I'm not really sure why but my doctor said it's normal for athletes who workout daily. R u kidding me...I was pumped when my period stopped coming every month. And when I do get it, it's light and lasts like 3 days. (consider it a gift from the cardio-gods for doing such a good job)

A few years ago (late 20's early 30's) when I was thinner, and exercised and dieted ALOT ( ate like NO fat!) I would stop getting my period, as well. I attributed it to eating too little and exerciseing too much...now if I could only get back to that weight!!! Urg!

It would only be a month or two, but did bother me. But, as soon as winter came...bulky clothing ...I'd start eating more and TOM returned...until next summer, and I'd start the same cycle!!

-Julie