03 Jan Training With Your Menstrual Cycle

Have you ever noticed that sometimes you feel sluggish on your run, even when you slept the same amount and ate the EXACT same thing you did the other day? This may be due to your hormones and your menstrual cycle!

For anyone with a menstrual cycle, you know it can sometimes be a real pain. Cramps, headaches, bloating, can all make training feel that much harder. But what if you could sync your training with your menstrual cycle? 

Understanding and tracking your monthly cycle and the impact of hormones can help figure out when you feel your best and strongest. Let’s discuss training with your menstrual cycle and what you can modify to optimize running performance!

What is important to know up front is that there is currently limited scientific research on how our menstrual cycles can influence various performance factors. So, while what I’m sharing here is a general overview, your personal experience may be different and that is ok! Use this as a starting point or guide, and keep track of your cycle/performance to figure out what works best for you.

Alright, let’s dive in!

First off, what is your menstrual cycle?

The Menstrual Cycle

The menstrual cycle is a process the female reproductive system goes through each month (approximately) to release an egg from the ovaries and make a pregnancy possible.

It is regulated by hormones including luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone, which promote ovulation, and the female sex hormones: estrogen and progesterone, which prepare for possible fertilization.

The menstrual cycle starts on the first day of your period and lasts until the first day of your next. It is typically 28 days on average, but can span between 25 to 36 days.

There are 3 phases of your cycle: follicular, ovulation and luteal.

FOLLICULAR PHASE

Some runners may notice a performance advantage during this phase such as faster recovery, enhanced strength gains, improved temperate regulation and more ability to access body’s energy stores. But, this may not be the case for every runner, so track your cycle and performance to see what patterns emerge for you.

HOW TO ADAPT DURING YOUR FOLLICULAR PHASE

If you feel good, you can plan your hardest training during this phase! Since hormone levels are lower during this phase, there is a potential positive effect on your energy, strength and mood. Some research has also shown the greatest increase in muscle strength during this phase compared to others! Perfect time to hit those PRs.

Make sure to adapt your nutrition as well if you are training harder by increasing your carb and protein intake. This would be a good time to compete or do any important time trials.

Not feeling your best? That’s ok! Not every runner will feel amazing during those few first days. But, by keeping track of your cycle and looking for patterns you can learn when your body feels and performs it’s best.

OVULATION

Around day 14

Luteinizing and follicle stimulating hormone rise during this phase, stimulated by rising estrogen levels. This causes the release of an egg.

The “ovulation” phase of your cycle is short, only about 24-36 hours.

Around this time, you might be full of energy and feel amazing. A great time to get your sweat on with a HIIT workout or intense training!

You may notice a reduced appetite around this time, so focus on fueling properly rather than appetite signals, especially pre and post workout nutrition!

LUTEAL PHASE

~Days 15 to 28

The luteal phase is the time between the ovulation and menstruation phase. Estrogen and progesterone rises and remains high throughout this phase. Energy levels tend to drop during this phase and some women experience PMS symptoms such as bloating and fatigue.

With an increase in hormones, you also have a higher resting metabolism, reduced ability to access muscle glycogen, increased muscle loss, increased sodium losses via sweat, reduced blood volume and reduced strength and aerobic capacity. All not ideal for us runners.

HOW TO ADAPT DURING YOUR LUTEAL PHASE

If you’re struggling with performance during this time, you can take a step back and focus on recovery. Plan your lower mileage weeks for this phase when you may not be feeling your best. Incorporate adequate rest such as foam rolling, stretching or some gentle yoga.

In terms of nutrition, you can increase your intake of BCAAs (to prevent muscle loss), pre and intra workout carb intake (due to the difficulty of accessing glycogen stores), and fluid and sodium consumption. And make sure you’re having a high quality recovery meal! 

If you’ve got a race during this phase, you may want to consider consuming more electrolytes, carbs and fluids to replace increased losses and give you adequate, consistent energy. And if you’re running in hot weather, have some extra strategies to keep cool since your natural thermoregulation can be impacted by progesterone.

What is important to note however is that while exercise can feel harder during this phase, actual fitness markers such as V02 max remain the same.

Going back to your cycle, if the egg is not fertilized, estrogen and progesterone levels drop which causes the luteal phase to end and the cycle repeats.

What if I don’t get a regular cycle? Read more about why some runners might lose their periods here

The bottom line

Knowing how our bodies can change throughout our monthly cycle can be extremely helpful in optimizing our training and running performance. Tracking your cycle can allow you to plan and prepare for great performance no matter what phase you’re in.

By making modifications to your training schedule and nutrition strategies, you can improve results and help reduce some PMS symptoms.

This allows your to work WITH your menstrual cycle rather than against it!