Since I have been strength training and more recently powerlifting, I have noticed dramatically how my training has been affected by my hormone cycle.
Some weeks I feel like super woman in the gym, I can train heavy and train hard. Other weeks I am so incredibly fatigued that just looking at the bar makes me feel exhausted.
Not to mention the crazy cravings for carbs and the mindset melt downs because I’m beating myself up about not being able to train to my full capacity and my eating feels so out of control for 3-4 days.
The more weary I became about my own cycle, the more I began noticing it with the girls I trained.
I decided to dive deep into some research and find out more about why because I figured if we understood more about what was happening to our bodies then we could go easier on ourselves and use our cycles to our advantage.
Disclaimer: I am no expert in this area. However, understanding this information has helped me both physically and mentally so much that I wanted to collate all my current research and compile it so it’s easy for you to understand. At the bottom of this article I have included some of the references I found most beneficial during my research if you wish to look into this further.
A TYPICAL MENSTRUAL CYCLE
I thought it might be of some benefit to take you back to your high school health class and refresh what happens during your menstrual cycle.
A typical menstrual cycle lasts 23-35 days with the average 28days.
Day 1 of your cycle is the first day of your period.
Day 1-14 is known at the Follicular Phase of your cycle. This is where your body is preparing for ovulation. It is at this stage where your oestrogen levels are high.
Day 14 you ovulate, the egg is released from the ovary to the fallopian tube into your uterus where it will wait to be fertilised by sperm for the next 12-24 hours
Day 15 – 28 is the Luteal Phase of your cycle. Another hormone progesterone is now released to continuing to help the uterus create a healthy lining. If the egg is not fertilised by sperm, progesterone levels drop and the lining of your uterus starts to shed. At the end of this phase your period begins, starting the cycle all over again.
Image Credit: HERE
YOUR TRAINING AND YOUR MENSTRUAL CYCLE.
During the Follicular phase of your cycle (day 1-14) is the time to train hard. It’s during this phase that oestrogen levels are rising. Oestrogen has a positive effect on mood, energy and strength. It also decreases appetite and increases insulin sensitivity (meaning your body can handle carbs well) so it’s a great time to take advantage of these elevated oestrogen levels.
Halfway through your cycle oestrogen peaks and ovulation takes place. So if you are a lifter like me, if you were going to test for PBs this would be the perfect time to do. On the downside, according to the research I have done, with the extra oestrogen you may also be a bit more prone to injury so it’s important to listen to your body and the feedback its giving you.
As you move into the 2nd half of your cycle, the Luteal Phase, several things begin to happen
Oestrogen levels drop and progesterone levels begin to rise. Progesterone’s role is to prepare the uterus for pregnancy and is can be responsible for PMS including bloating, sore boobs, and mood swings.
Your serotonin levels also drop in this phase too. Serotonin is a chemical in the body and is considered to be a mood stabiliser and can help with sleeping, appetite, digestions, sex drive (sorry boys) and brain fog.
Your metabolism increases (calories you burn at rest) and you require around 100-300 more calories a day. This part of the cycle could be the perfect time to burn a little extra body fat but due to an increase of appetite most of us girls eat an extra 500plus calories per day which totally counteracts the increased metabolism we experience.
We also become a bit more insulin resistant so it’s harder for our body to handle carbohydrates.
Training during this phase can feel like an uphill battle. You feel fatigued, and you’re dealing with PMS. There is so much happening during your body, no wonder you are exhausted. You also may experience more cravings for carbohydrates and high sugar foods but due to being more insulin resistant during this time our bodies don’t respond well to all those extra carbs.
SO WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP MANAGE AND CREATE SOME BALANCE DURING THIS PHASE OF YOUR CYCLE?
You can start by increasing your serotonin levels naturally by increasing your protein and good fat intake (which will help to curb those cravings), going for a walk outside in the fresh air and getting more sleep.
Tailor your training based on how you are feeling. If you are fatigued, think about lowering your intensity or if you need to take a day or 3 of rest
SOME THINGS TO CONSIDER:
Find a trainer that you feel comfortable to talking and being up front and honest about your cycle. They should also be comfortable to change your training plan to suit. Shout out to my coach here. He is very understanding and will adjust my training accordingly and sometimes give me permission to take 2-3 rest days. (Sometimes having your coach tell you its ok to take a rest takes the pressure off feeling like you have to train.)
Understand that not every woman or even every cycle is the same. We are all effected differently. That’s why it’s a good Idea to get in tune with your cycle. There are some great apps that can help you track your cycle and how you are feeling.
Your entire physiology changes week to week. If you are tracking your measurements it’s a good idea to do it monthly at the same part of your cycle so you get a consistent reading. For example, if you did it week 1 of your cycle at the end of your period and week 3 when you are experiencing bloating, PMS etc your measurements are going to be inconsistent and completely inaccurate due to your physiology.
MORAL OF THE STORY
Become your own best scientist. By knowing your body and becoming in tune with your cycle you can take the pressure off having to have a great work every single time and you can be more empathetic to yourself with all the emotions, fatigue and cravings you are experiencing.
Knowing this has empowered me to be kinder to myself. I know when to go all in with my training and I know when to ease off. As a result, I am more in control, I don’t beat myself up when all I want to do is each chips, I have strategies in place to help me stay on track and I am still moving towards reaching my goals.
So girls, share this article with all the women in your life. Let them understand more about their bodies and give them the opportunity to ease up on themselves too.
REFERENCES
Over the last few months I have gone down many a rabbit hole learning about this subject and my intention for this article was to keep it simple and easy to understand.
If you wish to go down your own rabbit hole here are my top 3 resources that you can start with to send you on your way.
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