Hypothyroidism Info for Dancers: Part 1
In this post:
What is your thyroid and how does it work?
What is hypothyroidism?
What is Hashimoto’s?
Commons signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism
Thyroid labs to ask for + why TSH is not enough
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INTRO TO HYPOTHYROIDISM
All of my dancer clients are truly unique (a term in nutrition known as bio-individuality), BUT there is one thing that nearly 20% of my clients past and present have in common (yes, I did the math)...
And that is having a diagnosed thyroid disease or disorder. More specifically, hypothyroidism, which is a slow or underactive thyroid.
But why are so many struggling with hypothyroidism?
Thyroid dysfunction is VERY common among the general population, particularly women. Hypothyroidism is one of the most common endocrine disorders, and it’s estimated that nearly 5 out of 100 Americans 12 years and older have hypothyroidism (source).
But I have a theory as to why it seems to be SO common among dancers…
Chronic under-eating and yo-yo dieting.
The thyroid is an extremely energy (aka calories) and nutrient (aka vitamins and minerals) dependent organ. It needs a lot of stuff to function optimally!
When we go through long periods of under consuming adequate calories and nutrients, the body tries to conserve energy by slowing down various metabolic processes. Severe calorie restriction can down regulate hormone levels, including thyroid hormones, as the body adapts to reduced energy intake.
Carbohydrates in particular are important for healthy thyroid function, but unfortunately carbohydrates are one of the first food groups dancers begin to restrict when they are under-eating or intentionally dieting.
This is why I am SO passionate about educating dancers on eating enough to fuel their bodies, because chronic under-eating truly does have long term, significant health consequences.
Now let’s dive into all things thyroid health, so you can learn how to care for your thyroid with proper nutrition and lifestyle, and feel your best!
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WHAT IS THE THYROID & HOW DOES IT WORK?
The thyroid is a little butterfly shaped gland in your neck that is part of a feedback control loop in the neuroendocrine system. The thyroid is an organ that makes hormones that go all over the body to regulate metabolism, growth, and development.
Your thyroid powers every cell in your body. It’s like the thermostat for your body–it sets the pace at which your body functions and operates.
Your thyroid:
Regulates your metabolism, aka how you take energy from food and turn it into fuel
Slows down or speeds up your heartbeat
Raises or lowers your body temperature
Controls how fast food moves through your digestive tract
Controls how muscles contract
Affects ovulation and hormone balance
Regulates your sleep/wake cycle
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WHAT IS HYPOTHYROIDISM AND HASHIMOTO’S?
Hypothyroidism occurs when your thyroid is underactive and not producing enough free thyroid hormone (mainly T4 and T3), and/or not efficiently converting inactive thyroid hormone (T4) to the active form (T3).
Hashimoto’s is an autoimmune condition that occurs when the immune system attacks the thyroid gland, which impacts the production of thyroid hormones. Hashimoto’s can be one cause of hypothyroidism, and in fact it is the most common cause.
However, one can have hypothyroidism without Hashimoto’s → in this case, the hypothyroid state can be happening due to lack of nutrients that the thyroid needs to function well and produce/convert sufficient thyroid hormone for the cells to use.
To recap: the “root causes” of hypothyroidism can be split into two major groups:
Autoimmune hypothyroidism aka Hashimoto’s
Non autoimmune hypothyroidism
Knowing which one applies to you is extremely important so that you can manage it correctly! Nutrition and lifestyle management approaches for autoimmune vs. non-autoimmune hypothyroidism can differ.
How do you know if your hypothyroidism is caused by autoimmunity?
Lab work! You need to check antibodies on your full thyroid panel (which we’ll go over in a sec…)
Specifically, you are looking for thyroid peroxidase (TPO) antibodies and thyroglobulin antibodies (TgAb). If antibodies are present above the recommended range, talk to your doctor about the potential for Hashimoto’s being the cause of your hypothyroidism.
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THYROID LAB MARKERS TO GET CHECKED
Here is the reality about thyroid testing → most primary care doctors are not running all the tests needed to actually determine if there is a thyroid issue going on.
I cannot tell you how many clients say “I had my thyroid checked, my doctor said it was fine” but they feel TERRIBLE, not fine. And then, we look at their labs, and the only thyroid related lab test done was TSH.
Most doctors are only going to check thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), but TSH alone does not tell the full story of what’s going on with your thyroid, not even close. TSH is produced by your pituitary gland and basically tells your thyroid how much thyroid hormone it needs to make. You could have “normal” TSH and still be experiencing symptoms.
If you’ve “had your thyroid checked” and it was “fine,” but you don’t feel fine… go back and look at your lab work, I can almost guarantee you they only checked TSH and maaaaybe free T4.
A full thyroid panel should include:
TSH
Free T4 → The unbound, inactive form of thyroid hormone; it has to be converted to T3, the active form
Free T3 → Active form of thyroid hormone that actually goes into/impacts your cells
Reverse T3 → This stops your body from converting T4 to T3, which happens when your body wants to conserve rather than burn energy; elevated RT3 is typically due to chronic stress
TPO antibodies and thyroglobulin antibodies (TgAb) → this tells you if your thyroid dysfunction is a result of an attack on your thyroid from your immune system
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Commons signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism:
Fatigue and sluggishness
Feeling cold all the time, or inability to regulate body temperature (i.e. hot flashes, yet hands and feet are freezing)
Hair loss or thinning hair
Coarse, dry hair
Brittle nails
Dry skin
Brain fog and poor memory
Anxiety and/or depression
Constipation and slow digestion
Menstrual irregularities
High cholesterol
Unexplained weight gain or inability to lose weight
(Source)
CAVEAT: Having a lot of these symptoms doesn’t necessarily mean you for sure have a thyroid issue. However, these symptoms aren’t normal and you shouldn’t have to just deal with them, so it’s 100% worth looking into your thyroid health.
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In part 2 next week, you’ll learn about the different potential causes or underlying drivers of hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s, including genetics, chronic stress, nutrient deficiencies, chronic inflammation, hormonal imbalances, environmental toxins, and more.
And of course, we’ll talk about how you can support thyroid health with proper nutrition and lifestyle strategies!
I hope this was helpful and insightful, and that you learned something new :)
If you’re struggling with hypothyroidism, or you’re unsure but have many symptoms, I can help! Schedule your FREE consultation call today!
