Menstrual Cycle And Exercise
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Do you feel completely overwhelmed when it comes to your menstrual cycle and exercise and not sure where to start?
Whether you’re an athlete or a regular gym-goer, it’s important to know how to get the most out of your training and understand how to best utilise your cycle.
Because if we don’t work effectively, we can seriously affect our body’s natural processes, in some cases periods can stop altogether. And as women, we all should have a menstrual cycle.
As women, we undergo huge hormonal changes each month. This has effects on our energy levels, strength, reaction times, sleep quality, recovery and our immune system to name a few.
These fluctuations will impact our training and the results we see. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all of this, but that’s where I come in!
In this article, I’m going to equip you with the understanding of how to optimise your training around your menstrual cycle so you can work your body's natural processes not against it.
I entered lockdown keen to focus on my health and to really perfect my training. After a couple of months, I realised that to get the absolute maximum out of my training, I needed to consider my menstrual cycle when it came to planning my training sessions and nutrition.
I spent lockdown wading through piles of research trying to understand how I could get the most out of my training and how I could use my menstrual cycle to my advantage.
But not every woman has the time to do this. Spending hours reading research isn’t everyone's idea of ‘fun’, AND it’s not always that easy to understand.
Having spent 3 years researching this topic, and through my own experience, and taking time to truly understand my own menstrual cycle, I want to share my training and nutrition hacks with you.
The hacks I’m about to share have helped me to stay in great shape, while developing a far healthier relationship with food, and with my own body.
I also have a far deeper understanding of the changes my body undergoes over the month.
And because of this, I’m getting the most out of my training programme and seeing great results - both physically, and just as importantly, mentally.
I’m able to manage my energy levels, my premenstrual symptoms (fatigue and mood swings) have reduced, I experience less bloating, and my period pains are less severe.
But the best thing about all of this is that I no longer feel that my menstrual cycle limits what I can do in my training.
This is something I use to my advantage now, and I want the same for you too. You too can get great results when you learn how to optimise your training around your menstrual cycle.
In this article, I’ll walk you through the training hacks you can use to optimise how you train across the menstrual cycle and how to understand the changes your body undergoes over the month.
Before I go into my first training hack, It’s important to know the 3 phases of the menstrual cycle, what happens at each, and the impact this can have on your training.
What is the menstrual cycle?
The menstrual cycle is the hormonal changes that occur over the month in order to prepare a woman for pregnancy, and we want them to last between 23-35 days. (1)
The 3 phases of the menstrual cycle
There are 3 phases of the menstrual cycle.
Phase 1 - Day 1 - 5 is menstruation (your period) and the first half of the follicular phase
Phase 2 - Day 4 - 14 is the second half of the follicular phase
Phase 3 - Day 14 - 28 is the luteal phase (2)
Now we know what the three phases of the menstrual cycle are, let’s look at the common symptoms, and how best to tailor your nutrition and training to each phase.
It is important to note that these are not the same for every individual and that they may change cycle-to-cycle in an individual. The aim of this is for you to better understand potential patterns and to help you recognise patterns in your own cycle.
Phase 1 of your menstrual cycle
Phase 1 goes from days 1 - 5. This is menstruation, which is when you are on your period.
In this phase, oestrogen and progesterone are at their lowest.
Here are the symptoms you may experience in phase 1 of your menstrual cycle:
Better cognition and improved concentration. It’s kind of like getting a short term increase in brain power (3)
Improved coordination (4)
Increased pain perception, as inflammation is higher in this phase, and oestrogen is at its lowest (5)
Period pains (dysmenorrhea). However, one solution to offset this pain is exercise as it helps with the release of endorphins! (6)
Nutrition hack during phase 1 of your menstrual cycle
Getting your nutrition on point during phase 1 is so key.
Inflammation is higher in this phase, meaning that your body is fighting against things that harm it in an attempt to heal itself. (7)
Here’s how you can reduce total body inflammation:
I like to avoid the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen and naproxen as they can disrupt the body’s natural ability to manage inflammation (8)
Follow a low inflammation diet. Some foods will cause spikes in blood sugar levels and raise inflammation levels
I focus on anti-inflammatory foods which include vitamin D, calcium and B vitamins
Vitamin D-rich foods - oily fish, red meat, egg yolks, cereals, and almonds
Calcium-rich foods - dairy, dark leafy green vegetables, baked beans, and figs
B vitamin-rich foods - seafood, poultry, legumes, and leafy greens
You could also reduce refined carbohydrate intake, reduce intake of processed seed oils, eat more healthy fats (omega 3’s), and focus your efforts on more fruit and veg in your diet.
Get more sleep! One night of sleep loss raises inflammation (10)
The guys at Unstoppabl have put together a blog to show you how to get more sleep here.
· I like to use this time to focus on some yoga, stretching or mobility. This has been shown to lower inflammation and cortisol, the stress hormone. (11)
Take proven anti-inflammatory supplements
Fish oil (250mg EPA DHA daily) has been shown to reduce inflammation. (12)
Turmeric combined with black pepper extract (200-1500mg) reduces inflammation too. (13)
Bowsellia can too (100-150mg) (14)
Type II collagen can too (40mg daily) (15)
Another tip here is to get yourself a good quality multivitamin supplement.
It’s a good idea to make sure no vitamins are missing from your diet, especially during phase 1.
I also make sure the foods I eat are high in antioxidants as this helps combat the increased inflammation and improve recovery.
My anti-oxidant foods are blueberries and raspberries so I usually start my day with a berry, banana and peanut butter smoothie. I also make sure I include lots of nuts and leafy greens in my diet in phase 1.
Recovery is also essential when you’re training around your menstrual cycle, so make sure you’re eating enough protein and carbohydrates post-workout.
I recommend getting about 20-40g of protein, and 30-60g of carbohydrates within an hour of finishing your workout to maximise your recovery.
Training hack during phase 1 of your menstrual cycle
You may notice that you feel that you perform better in your workouts. This is because coordination and reaction times may improve, and you may feel strongest in this phase.
As I said, recovery is essential and is as important as the training we do. Inflammation tends to be higher after a workout in phase 1, meaning the repair process that leads to muscle growth may take slightly longer. I, therefore, ensure I prioritise sleep, and that I foam roll and perform a cool down after a workout.
Here are a few more ways you can make sure you’re recovering properly:
Make sure you’re sleeping 7-9 hours each day
Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables
Eat plenty of 1.2-1.6g per kg of your body weight in protein each day
Stay hydrated throughout the day (6-8 cups per day)
You can also check out our blog post here for more ways to improve your recovery.
Phase 2 of your menstrual cycle
Phase 2 goes from days 4 - 14. This is the second half of the follicular phase. The follicular phase is between finishing your period and the day of ovulation (the release of an egg from the ovaries)
In phase 2, oestrogen levels are high, and progesterone levels remain low.
Symptoms you may experience during phase 2 of your menstrual cycle
Nutrition hack during phase 2 of your menstrual cycle
You may feel your appetite is reduced in this phase, and therefore it is important to consciously make sure you’re fuelling your workouts properly, especially during more intense workouts.
This is something I really have to make sure I focus on in phase 2!
I also find that keeping my protein and carbohydrate intake high gives me the best results in phase 2.
I would also recommend keeping yourself hydrated. If you’re putting more intensity into your workouts, you’re probably going to sweat more. So it’s important to keep yourself hydrated.
I recommend investing in an electrolyte supplement too, as this can help replace those lost salts.
Training hack during phase 2 of your menstrual cycle
I like to capitalise on my increased energy levels and use this to increase the intensity of my workouts. If you’re going for a personal best, or you’re looking to perform at your best, this is the phase for that!
Ensure you have enough time for recovery after an intense session to allow for training adaptations. I recommend taking 24-72 hours of recovery between each session, depending on your age and fitness level.
Phase 3 of your menstrual cycle
Phase 3 of your menstrual cycle is from days 14 - 28. This is known as the luteal phase. The luteal phase starts after ovulation and ends on the first day of your period, which is the next menstrual cycle.
Now you’re in the final phase of your menstrual cycle. This is when oestrogen drops and both hormones start to rise before dropping back to their lowest point in phase 1.
In phase 3 you may experience some of the following symptoms:
Pain related to ovulation (19)
Worsened sleep (20)
Cravings (21)
Increases in body temperature by a few degrees (22)
Nutrition hack during phase 3 of your menstrual cycle
As you experience an increase in temperature it’s natural that you will start to sweat more and lose more water and essential minerals.
This means that it’s important to stay hydrated. I always like to make sure I supplement with electrolyte drinks after an intense workout or long run to replace the salts I have sweated out.
Research suggests that your basal metabolic rate (BMR) increases in phase 3. This is the number of calories you burn without moving.
Now what that means for you is YES you can eat a bit more! As cravings can be a bit higher, it's a good idea to increase your fruit, vegetables, and protein so you can stay fuller for longer and stay away from less filling and less nutrient-dense foods that will have an impact on your training and overall health.
If you find this phase of your menstrual cycle tough I understand. There’s a blog the guys at Unstoppabl created that walks you through 14 ways you can keep cravings at bay.
Training hack during phase 3 of your menstrual cycle
Increases in body temperature do not help you to sleep at night, and I find my sleep is at its worst in phase 3.
I make sure that I have a proper sleep routine, I’m off my phone 60 minutes before my planned sleep time, and I like to make sure that I sleep in cycles not hours.
If you’re not sure what I mean by that, click here to check out this blog to help you sleep better.
Finally, I think the most important thing about phase 3 is listening to your body, knowing when to reduce the intensity or length of sessions, and not push yourself too hard. I reassess how I feel on a daily basis.
What’s important here is that not one size fits all. What you may feel may be different to me.
How much do I need to alter my training to work with my menstrual cycle?
Although I’ve said strength is usually best in phase 1, and capitalising on your energy levels in phase 2 is best…
At the end of the day, we’re still going to train regardless of the phase we are in.
Not everyone will experience all of these symptoms, and not everyone notices such large fluctuations in symptoms. But for those who do, be aware of these changes when training.
Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t feel able to lift as much weight in phase 3, or you eat a little bit more than usual.
By reading this blog you will have a far better understanding of what's going on with your body throughout your menstrual cycle.
Your body is going through its natural process. I’m a physiotherapist, I’ve been working in healthcare for 7 years, and I‘ve been through my own journey with this.
The most important piece of advice I can give you is to get to know and understand your own cycle and recognise patterns within it.
The menstrual cycle is so individualised. As individuals, we experience such a variety of symptoms. To optimise your training around your menstrual cycle, you need to understand your own body and how the different phases affect how you feel and train.
I would recommend getting yourself an app built for women that want to optimise their training around their menstrual cycle and want to better recognise patterns that occur across the month.
I personally use FitRWoman. FitRWoman helps recognise patterns, track the length of each cycle and recognise when your menstrual cycle may not be regular.
I’ll be talking more about the importance of this in my next blog.
Recapping menstrual cycle and exercise
Understand the 3 different phases of your menstrual cycle so you know what to look out for
Keeping your nutrition and hydration on point throughout your menstrual cycle with help with your training and the symptoms you may experience during the different phases of your menstrual cycle
Work on sleep quality - especially in phase 3
Start tracking your menstrual cycle if you aren’t already with apps like FitRWoman for Flo
Symptoms are highly individualised. So it’s important to recognise patterns across the menstrual cycle or any changes to the length, or loss of your period - but stay tuned for more on this in our next blog!
That’s how to use your menstrual cycle to optimise the exercise you do.
