Mastering your menstrual cycle

28 Jul

Our menstrual cycle is so often a ‘no-go’ topic of discussion. Something we just deal with as women and yet it has a profound effect on our lives from the moment it starts at puberty, right through to menopause. With the technical ins and outs of a cycle not often delved into, let’s use this as an opportunity to review them. While an average menstrual cycle is 28 days long and broken up into two 14 day phases with ovulation occurring in the middle; it can range from 21 to 35, often fluctuating and not necessarily always running like clockwork either.

Days 1 to 14 - is considered the follicular phase.
This begins on the first day of your period when estrogen and progesterone levels are low.

Days 15 to 28 - is the luteal phase when hormone levels are higher.
The rise and fall of these two key hormones affect our bodies throughout the cycle; particularly noticeable around 5 days prior to menstruation as Estrogen and Progesterone reach peak levels and we start to see PMS symptoms flare up.

It makes sense then that we are physiologically most like men in this low hormone phase; able to train harder (and potentially find it easier) and recover faster while seeing the most strength gains in the first 14 days of our cycle. The high hormone phase however is another story. It is during this time it is harder for us to make and maintain muscle, we will notice increased cravings, feel bloated, our core temperature increases and we can suffer headaches, cramps and mood swings to name a few side effects.

Having a basic understanding of how these key hormones affect our bodies and becoming aware of our own personal cycles is vital. This enables us to train effectively for optimum results knowing when to hit high intensity workouts or adapt and recover as needed. An increased awareness of your menstrual cycle will enable you to make small adjustments to your everyday life through exercise and nutrition to help mitigate unwanted side effects of fluctuating hormones and leave you feeling better for it all round!