Getting to know your cycle by tracking your period However, there’s a lot you can do with what we know now to hack your menstrual cycle and make it work for you. Of course, as physicians and dietitians, we’re just starting to scratch the surface – plenty more research needs to be done in a lot of areas. We’re finding that hormone levels can influence a woman’s susceptibility to certain injuries, how your body processes food and even how flexible your joints are. A woman’s hormones – affected by age, maturity and pregnancy history – set the pace for her reproductive system and physical performance. And it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that the more we study, the more we discover just how distinct and different a woman’s needs really are.Įven more importantly, we’re finding that those needs aren’t particularly constant from week to week. As a result, many of the results from past nutrition and training research apply perfectly to men, but not so much for women.įortunately, as the field has become more diverse, more recent women’s sports medicine research has produced a wealth of information on how the female bodies interact with activity and nutrition. Why haven’t we discovered this sooner? It all comes down to the primary focus of early sports medicine science: male athletes. Let’s address the big question in the room. Why women’s athletic research is catching up – the role of hormones Plus, your body also needs more water during the luteal phase – more hormones means a greater risk of dehydration. Now, your body needs fuel from extra carbs and calories from the outside (that is, your plate). This means that it’s time to take it easier, focusing on lower-intensity workouts with more recovery time.Īlso, rather than being able to easily access stored carbohydrates, your increase in hormones has that energy locked up tight. More hormones means a decrease in anabolic, or muscle-building, capacity. This means your hormones are running at a higher level, due to an increase in estrogen and progesterone. The luteal phase and athletic performanceĭuring the back half of your menstrual cycle, your body is preparing for your next period or pregnancy, if you happened to conceive during this cycle. But during this lower hormone phase, hydration is easier, and you have a more even, cooler body temperature. Also, due to the shedding of the uterine lining during this time, there are a few days of increased inflammation. You’ve recently lost some blood, so your body has a greater need for iron. The follicular phase starts with day one of your cycle. It’s also easier to build and maintain muscle, which means this is also a great time to emphasize muscle-building exercises. This means your body is better able to access stored carbohydrates, making this an ideal time for high-intensity training. With a lower level of hormones during the first phase of your menstrual cycle, your body is primed to maximize hard training efforts. The follicular phase and athletic performance Researchers and physicians are discovering that these hormone levels have a big impact on muscle development and how an athlete’s body uses energy. These two halves feature distinctly different hormone levels, with lower levels during the follicular phase and higher levels during the luteal phase. What is the luteal phase? The luteal phase is the second half of your cycle. What is the follicular phase? The follicular phase happens during the first half of your cycle. There are two main phases of the menstrual cycle: the follicular phase and the luteal phase. How your menstrual cycle can impact exercise and athletic training So what happens during these phases? How do you know what part of the cycle you’re in? How do you hack it? And why didn’t we discover this sooner? To start, let’s go back to health class. By understanding how the different phases of your cycle affect your hormone levels, you can time your diet and training accordingly. But what if there was another explanation? Even better, what if you could flip the situation and take advantage of it?Īnd what if it had everything to do with your menstrual cycle?įortunately, sports medicine physicians and dietitians have been uncovering a close connection between an athlete’s menstrual cycle and how her body responds to training.
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Why do you rock certain days and struggle through others? Maybe it’s how much you prepare, maybe it’s how things went at work, maybe it’s something else entirely. After you’re all done, you feel like you were hit by a bus – repeatedly.
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You’re out of sync and barely reaching the ends of your reps. You’re destroying sets and slaying goals – at the end, walking out of the gym with a spring in your step. There are training days where everything clicks.