Have you ever heard about training in line with your cycle? It’s okay if you haven’t. I’ve been playing sport my whole life and it has not once been mentioned by any coach or player I’ve worked with. So here I am, trying to slash the period taboo down! To know how to utilise our natural hormones, WILL make us stronger, faster, and better. I’ve learnt this information from some amazing women in the field, so I’m here to pass it on.
What is a cycle?
There are 4 phases that naturally occur during a menstrual cycle. (Side note - It’s important to note that if you are taking any form of contraception, these phases will not apply to you. It is definitely more complex than this but essentially, contraception disrupts our endocrine system, switching our hormones and their receptors off so you have total control over your cycle.)
Phase 1 of our cycle is from day 1-5. This is our ‘bleeding’ phase, or what we know as our period. Both oestrogen and progesterone are low here.
Phase 2 is from day 5-14. Oestrogen is drastically on the rise, the growth of the follicle in the ovary is happening, getting ready for ovulation. As the follicle increases in size, a burst of luteninizing hormone (LH) causes it to rupture and it’s release – voila, you’ve just ovulated!
Phase 3 is from days 14-22. This is the luteal phase where estrogen and testosterone have dipped. Progesterone is now on the rise.
Phase 4 is when progesterone is at its height, LH has declined, and the corpus luteum begins to degenerate, leading to menstruation.
How can we utilise these fantastic hormones to improve our performance?
Phase 1 – we are quite ‘stable’ here in terms of hormones so go for it! A lot of people think they shouldn’t exercise on their period, but honestly you’re good to go! If you are having period ‘dysfunction’ (pain/cramping/PMS etc) make sure you’ve got a good doctor to investigate. I’m always to happy to have a chat too!
Phase 2 – Estrogen is on the rise. This is the time to push it! High intensity, high impact, sprinting, heavy lifting – Go crazy. Estrogen has got you. Estrogen is known to protect against exercise induced muscle damage so you’ll feel stronger, less sore and have increased energy during this phase.
Phase 3 & 4 – Progesterone is on the rise during the luteal phase which we know increases body temperature, and a natural inflammatory response in the body.
Higher core temperatures can have an effect on exercise performance so it’s important to stay cool and really hydrated during a workout.
Body mass can also vary during this phase too, due to water retention, electrolyte balance and glycogen storage all being influenced by progesterone. The shift in body mass has shown to also have an effect on your performance.
During this phase, I’d recommend lower impact exercise as you will naturally have less energy and motivation, as well as the chance of injury is potentially higher. Focus on recovery, stretching and mediative type movements. Yoga, swimming, Pilates, stretch and mobility work are all fantastic options!
Just a brief overview of such a complex topic! But hopefully you have some more direction when training; and can also stop feeling guilty when you are feeling flat and worn out – there may be a natural reason why! Having this knowledge can help take the pressure off.
Once more I want to re-iterate that if you are having cycle abnormalities, don’t just live with it. There are some wonderful doctors in Canberra and the surrounds who can help. I’m available to you should you like to have a chat!
Lauren