Can Exercise Help Women Produce Milk?

DISCLAIMER: This information is proprietary to Zacariah Hildenbrand, a student of science, NOT OF MEDICINE. REACT ACCORDINGLY.

Yesterday I was asked this very question from a friend of mine. I thought it was a neat little question, and one that required a little research in order to find a viable answer.

To start, woman produce milk late into their pregnancy to obviously nurse their young. Milk production or lactation is stimulated by the hormone prolactin (pro=for lactin=milk) which is then stimulated by PRH or prolactin releasing hormone. Like GH (growth hormone) prolactin is released from the hypothallamus and can be stimulated or inhibited in a number of ways.

Back to exercise. It seems the very breadth upon which we cite the crossfit regime is built upon short and intense workouts that trigger a cascade of anabolic signals which result in increased pulmonary capacity, vasodiliation, mitochondrial density and muscle cross-section, while subsequently decreasing body fat. The question is how does this relate to milk production. One thing we know is that doing a 4 minute FRAN will have your growth hormone and testosterone levels sky rocketing. Now GH has an inhibitory effect on estrogen, which is a major hormone in female development, and GH would seem to stimulate PIH (prolactin-inhibiting hormone) (very creative names), which in turn would result in no milk production.

SO WHAT GIVES? it seems like crossfit would if anything inhibit milk production because of all the anabolic hormones.

Remember our bodies are extremely efficient in regulating all of our hormones to basal levels (homeostasis) so that things don't get out of whack. For instance when Bodybuilders take steroids they are telling their bodies that it does not need to make any more natural testosterone and GH because these are coming from an exogenous source. When the meathead stops the juice, there is not testosterone production but instead their is tons of estrogen production and they end up with man boobs or gynoclamastia.

So I'm still stumped as to the increased in milk production. We know your GH are higher than prior to crossfit because you have become far more tonned and leaner so how can you be producing more milk, a situation that is generally associated with a developmental period in which estrogen levels are high and GH levels are low.

Perhaps there is a greater issue at hand. Unfortunately the inappropriate production of milk in active women, also known as hyperprolactinemia, may be a sign of a adenhypophyseal tumor. I really don't mean to frighten anyone but this is a very serious issue and requires the consultation of a medical professional.


Hildie