All over the fitness side of social media, trainers are now discussing “cycle-informed” training phases. There are those who swear by it and those who claim it’s just another fad. Like everything else, what “works” fully depends on the person, as all bodies respond slightly differently to different approaches. If you feel like you are one of those bodies whose energy fluctuates throughout the month, this post is for you.
Before we dive in…
The hormones to note:
Progesterone: is responsible for preparing the body for pregnancy. It is also known to assist in calming anxiety, raising your metabolism and body temperature, enhancing memory, and helps to regulate blood sugar.
Estrogen: is responsible for many things, from sex drive, heart health, to brain health, but for the purpose of this post, it’s important to note that estrogen improves muscle mass, energy, and strength gains. In animal studies on the effects estrogen has on energy levels, female mammals were found to be most active just before ovulation (when estrogen is highest) and least as estrogen depleted throughout the month. In an experiment on mice with blocked estrogen levels, it was found that they became sedentary almost immediately.
A brief review of the phases:
Follicular phase (Day 1 – 13). From the first day of your period, until around day 14 when you start ovulating. Right before your period, your hormone levels have dropped to their lowest that they’ll be. Now estrogen is rising, and testosterone is beginning to rise as well.
Once your estrogen peaks, you enter ovulation (Day 12-14), which lasts about a day. You feel energized, social, and on top of the world.
Luteal Phase (Day 15-28). Progesterone starts to pick up as estrogen slightly dips. As the month goes on, progesterone peaks and then drops with estrogen once your body realizes you aren’t pregnant. This is when you’re PMSing.
What this means for your metabolism
Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the amount of calories your body burns just to function. When you’re PMSing, you tend to get cravings for sugary foods and this is due to the fact that your BMR is actually raised 10-20% during luteal phase. This means that we burn 100 to 300 more calories per day at rest.
Progesterone makes your body more sensitive to sugar, and because it is raised when you are PMSing, it’s important to try your best to avoid sugary foods, if you want to feel your best. While on your period and PMSing, be sure to consume healthy fats, proteins, and low-GI carbs (carbs that take time to digest, like whole grains, veggies, berries, etc.). The healthy fats support hormone regulation, while proteins and the fiber in low GI carbs make you feel fuller for longer.
It’s also been shown that we have lower levels of the amino acids lysine, alanine, glutamine, glycine, and serine during luteal phase. So more BCAA consumption would be a good idea.
A recent study found that you burn between 12-38% more calories in the second half of your cycle (luteal) than your first (follicular), so it is absolutely normal to consume more calories during this time. Enjoy that extra snack and try not to beat yourself up about it! Your body needs it.
What this means for your workout
Let’s circle back to estrogen for a minute. It’s important to note that estrogen improves endurance performance by modifying the way your body metabolizes macros. When estrogen is higher, you feel more motivated to workout.
During menstruation, while hormones are lowest, we recover best from our workouts. Although our body might not want to sweat at this time, if we want to optimize this period of solid recovery, the second or third day menstruation is the best time to do high intensity workouts.
During the non-menstruating part of your follicular phase (day 6 – 10), your estrogen is pumping, making it easiest to push yourself; you’ll be able to build muscle better, tolerate pain, and your stamina will be increased. This is a great time to remain focused on your regular resistance training routine. It will be easier to stay consistent here.
Ovulation is your peak exercise time. You may feel more social so it’s a great time to take that group class you’ve been eying.
The luteal phase. You’re PMSing and your energy will drop. Body temperatures will raise, which makes it not an ideal time to push yourself to do any HIIT. Focus on lower intensity weightlifting (with a focus on form), Pilates, jogging, swimming, walking, hiking. Resist the urge to miss your workout, as the serotonin-boosting and insulin balancing effects of moderate intensity exercise will ease the discomfort of this phase.
How to mentalize this? Give yourself grace.
The majority of the fitness research, along with the mindset philosophies that come with it, has been made by and for men, and was later applied to women, with the assumption that our bodies worked in the same way.
Just recently, scientists have started focusing research on the way the female body works and more and more evidence has begun popping up proving that we simply do not function in the same way. The assumption that we did has led to many female athletes pushing themselves too hard at the worst times and eventually getting burnt out or injured, only to emotionally beat themselves up, wondering why they couldn’t just power through it like their male counterparts could. If we become aware of how our bodies work and work WITH them, this is less likely to happen.
When you are PMSing, remember what you read today. This is not a moment of weakness, but rather an opportunity to sharpen your weapons so that you can execute even better when your estrogen levels rise again. This is not a time to sit out and wallow in how “lazy” you are, but a time to focus on your form and celebrate the fact that you have a beautiful body that goes through cycles just as nature does.
I’m still your fan