For Women Who Workout
All women who exercise know that the physiological changes that take place around their menstrual cycle can affect their training, but female athletes are now becoming expert in aligning with their cycles for optimal performance, adaptation and recovery - and you can, too. Here are my tips for when you should go hard - and when you should take it easy!
In an exercise context, a woman’s cycle can be broken down into two phases; the follicular phase (pre-ovulation) and the luteal phase (post-ovulation).
Follicular phase
In early follicular phase (Days 1-7) - both oestrogen and progesterone levels are low. This means your body is better able to access stored carbohydrates for energy, it’s easier to build and maintain muscle and your core body temperature is steady and cooler, making it easier to stay hydrated. In Days 6-14, the rising oestrogen levels have a positive impact on mood and you will likely feel more motivated to exercise. The increased oestrogen also helps reduce inflammation, meaning your body is perfectly primed for you to really push. During ovulation (Days 15-20) your energy and endurance levels are still likely to be high as you’ll still be experiencing elevated levels of oestrogen, so you can continue to participate in high intensity activities like kickboxing, running or HIIT.
Luteal Phase
In the mid-luteal phase (Days 20-23) - progesterone levels also rise with oestrogen. This causes your core body temperature to rise, as well as your respiratory rate (number of breaths you take in a minute) and also your heart rate, so if you are doing any kind of endurance work (eg running, cycling, swimming etc), you should be mindful and ensure you have adequate cooling and hydration protocols in place. Furthermore, when progesterone is present during the second half of the menstrual cycle, it can reduce protein regrowth, negatively affecting the process of muscle repair. This coupled with high oestrogen can make your tendons and ligaments more lax, so you should avoid exercises with high impact on the knees and ankles. From an energy perspective, the high oestrogen levels also mean your body burns more fat for energy - between 5-10% more - and your metabolism increases, so if you have been in a calorie deficit (to drop body fat), you should return to calorie maintenance for this stage, and for the last week of your period to avoid feeling lethargic.
In week four (Days 24-28), you should really taper back the intensity of your workout - perhaps lift lighter weights but do more repetitions - or switch to more restorative exercises altogether (yoga, pilates, and low intensity activities such as bodyflow movements or even just walking). This is a great time to work on your mobility rather than strength and cardio. Drink plenty of water throughout as this helps prevent the blood from thickening whilst also alleviating muscle cramps associated with monthly flow (remember, muscle is 70% water, and blood plasma is over 92% water, so even slight dehydration can have a substantial effect on both).
Take the time to track your cycle and record your energy levels at the key stages, and then align your exercise regimen to these stages for optimal benefit. There are some great apps available (e.g. Clue, Flo, FitrWoman) for this purpose, but smart watches such as Garmin, Apple Watch and Fitbit also have tools within their apps to help you do this. Doing this means you are more likely to enjoy exercising and feel more empowered with your body, and less likely to beat yourself up for ‘failed’ workouts!