Exercise and Diet around your Monthly Cycle
The monthly madness...... Ahh the things we women have to deal with.
....... Do you just go about your life and when that time of the month comes, you experience irritability/ pain and then the blood flow, which is just a damn inconvenience. Then you brush it aside and go back about your life forgetting about it until a months time when your feeling irritable again.
……. did you either groan, or sigh “oh yeah”, or, “yep, in the middle of it now, tell me something I don't know” …..
Did you?
…. maybe like me, you could be facing its disappearance, or is it long gone …….. in which case may feel a little little nostalgic? and perhaps, “oh, SO glad I don’t have to deal with that anymore”
…… The monthly flow is a big connection we ladies have with each other, …… and probably the only one the men aren’t trying to also have ….. ha ha
But really….
Although the whole of humankind is affected by hormones it is predominantly women, who are reminded on a monthly basis, that we really are at the mercy of hormones. We have this crazed tyrant living inside of us, sometimes loving, other times….run and hide!
Sometimes you crave carbs, sometimes you don’t, sometimes you have energy and flow, and other times everything is having a hissy fit. If you are aware of your cycle, you have probably noticed that certain emotions and cravings occur around particular times of the cycle. You may or may not already be making lifestyle adjustments around it. For example, when I start suddenly feeling very down just before my period, I remind myself why I’m feeling this way, that it isn't me, and I allow myself to have a gentler workout or a rest day without feeling guilty (...most of the time..).This is making your cycle work for you, or at least a step toward it.
Today I’m going to show you how to make it work even better for you. If you are menopausal or postmenopausal, this could still be quite relevant. Studies show our hormones apparently still continue cycling after menopause, its less messy, but you still have a hormonal high and low. If you are and want to try this, I recommend using the lunar cycle as a guide and see how that works for you. To do this, use the full moon as your 'ovulation day' and the new moon as day 1 of a new cycle.
The Menstrual cycle
A very quick recap of the cycle. Visit here a more detailed version.
Day 1 is generally considered the first day of bleeding as the uterus sheds its lining. Soon a rise in Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and Lutenizing Hormone (LH), stimulate ovarian follicles in readiness to secrete an egg. Oestrogen's and estradiol are secreted which create an endometrium lining in the uterus to hold the egg. This phase is nearly always about 14 days long. An egg is created on or around day 14 (ovulation) and released. The rest of the follicle that produced the ova will breakdown to form the corpus luteum which will produce progesterone. Theres a little boost of oestrogen production due to this, FSH and LH production is suppressed and their levels fall quickly. This causes the corpus luteum to atrophy, oestrogen and progesterone fall and this triggers the lining to shed and menstruation and a new cycle commence. This phase can be 14 days or shorter, it tends to be more variable in each person.
The Benefits of Exercise
Theres no doubt, women who are more physically active enjoy better health than those who are sedentary. The benefits are extensive, Dr Christiane Northrup is a GP specialising in Womens health, she lists:
- Better immune system functioning and increased levels of immunoglobulins
- Lower overall cancer rate
- Decreased risk of heart disease
- Decreased risk of breast cancer
- Longer life expectancy
- Less depression and anxiety, better mental efficiency and speed
- More relaxation, more assertiveness, more spontaneity and enthusiasm
- Stronger bones
- More restful sleep
- Higher self-esteem
- Decreased insulin sensitivity
- More energy
- Decreased PMS symptoms
- Weight control
“Studies also show that repetitive movement increases the alpha waves in the brain — and the alpha state is associated with enhanced intuition. The mind pervades the body, and I find that when I move my body repetitively and rhythmically, more of my mind’s power becomes available to me, and insights often arise during my work-outs.”
How the cycle influences you
I’ve broken this down into phases.
Follicular Phase Days 1- 14
- Estrogen is increases
- Insulin sensitivity increased
- Metabolism is slower
- Anaerobic / intense work is great to increase the metabolism
- Great time to go for personal bests and have some healthy carbs in your diet
- The American Journal of Nutrition stated that basal metabolic rate decreases at the beginning of menstruation and reaches the lowest point a week before ovulation.
- Another study found soccer athletes had more endurance and greater lean body mass gain during this time
Ovulation Phase around Day 14
- Estrogen starts to fall
- Progesterone increases
- Cravings increase
- Serotonin decreases a little
- Insulin sensitivity increases
- Metabolism starts climbing
- Best day to go for a PB but due to also being more prone to injuries make sure technique is absolutely perfect
- Joints and limbs can be a bit lax
- American Journal of Sports Medicine found that due to joint laxity and estrogen-induced changes in collagen structure, ACL tears are four to eight times more likely to happen during this phase.
Luteal Phase Days 15 - 28
- Energy is not really there for power workouts
- Aerobic workouts at a conversational pace. A study showed aerobic exercise and taking a fennel supplement reduced premenstrual pain and anxiety
- Your insulin sensitivity is decreased
- Body has a preference to use fat for energy rather than glycogen
- Motivation is a bit lower
- May hold fluid and feel heavier at this time
- Metabolism kicks up so you may feel hungrier, try to stick to healthier whole foods and not over eat
- Same 2017 study as above found it wasn’t a good time for maximal endurance efforts at this time but sprints and jumps were unaffected
- You are more prone to higher cortisol response to stress , and more likely to feel stressed , so try a lower carb style of diet
- Things start to track back to ‘normal’ during the last few days of the cycle
Putting it into Real World Practice
Follicular Phase
Exercise
You may want a day or 2 off at the start of your cycle (or the entire time you are menstruating), if you feel uncomfortable, and not up to it. Respect your intuition and use this time to stretch more, meditate. Try yoga (recommended to avoid inversion poses during this time) or pilates, whatever you are leaning to, but keep moving.
If you feel well, there is no reason not to exercise, but respect that you may have looser joints and are therefore prone to injury.
Try this intense cardio session: 20 rounds of 1 min max intensity with 30 seconds recovery. Ouch!
In the gym
4 (6 sets)-8 (4 sets) reps. Heavy weights that you could only push one other rep out. A back move, a chest move, a Leg move, a hamstring specific move and a calf move
For example: Latpulldown; Incline Chest Press, Back Squat, Romanian Deadlift and Calf Raises
Nutrition
Always stick to whole foods and remove sugar where possible. This is the case for all diets really. Extra sugar sources during menstruation may contribute to bloating and pain, so leave the bread, cookies etc if you can.
After that for the remainder of the 14 days eat a balance of protein, vegetables and fruit, and fat, with a little extra if you need it. During the days you exercise add in a wholegrain source of carbohydrates if you want some more oomph, such as quinoa, millet, oatmeal, amaranth, and beans
Ovulation
If you are one of those people who know when they ovulate
Exercise
Make this a tough intense day, go do that crossfit wod you have been wondering about.
In the gym, do some 5 x 5 reps and sets and finish with a solid tabata or HIIT session
Nutrition
IF you have done some decent exercise, reseed your body with a big plate of meat, vegetables or salad, some olive oil and rice, or any grains mentioned above. Enjoy!
Luteal phase
Exercise
Get some steady state endurance work in 2-3 times a week for 30-60 minutes pending on your level. Use that time to put an audio book on, ponder the world, or focus on your breathing in a meditative fashion.
“you can perform 8 sets of 5 minutes at 60-70% of your VO2 max of running, biking, swimming, rowing, hiking, brisk walking or elliptical, with 3 minutes of easy movement between each”
In the gym
Try some higher volume. Lower the sets and increase the reps. For example
- 2-3 Sets of 15-25 reps
- 2 Day Split with a day between
Wkout 1: KB Pullover, seated row, reverse fly, biceps curls and back squat, pistol squat and Step tap ups, Side Plank pulses
Wkout 2: Flat Chest Press, Shoulder Press, Lateral Raise, Tricep Dips, Fitball Hamstring Curls, Fitball ab curls, Hip Thrust, Fitball rollouts
Finish each session with some steady cardio and a good stretch ensuring that you consciously breathe and relax during this time and bring your attention back to the body and cast your mind around the muscles you worked and how they are feeling, and which need more attention.
Nutrition
A great time to try intermittent fasting or low carb diets (get some good advice if you are unsure how to do this)
Keep as far away from sugar as possible and try very hard to have a good 7.5 plus hours sleep every night.
Regardless of whatever phase you are in make sure you move everyday. Incorporating movement, 10,000 steps, or a more formal workout, will release endorphins and that will make you feel good, increase insulin sensitivity, increase metabolism and reduce period pain (although, if you are like me, mine hurts a lot, admittedly its more painful if I have had increased sugar in my diet). Daily movement will also reduce cravings and help you sleep better. Even if you don’t feel up to it you can move with yoga like stretches. Just keep extending the body (I have simple, VERY easy stretch ideas here on youTube).
The best workout in the world is the one you actually do every day. We can analyse things too much and go off on tangents (I do it to myself ALL the time), so if in doubt, just move. Change it if you like when you like, just do it…..hey...... that would be a great slogan … hmmm
….oh, and eat whole foods where possible. Studies show that women are very affected by food choices, the difference between a stressed out day and one where you feel you can cope with the ups and downs. You don’t have to be religious about it, just consistent, like the exercise. Try to make 80% of your intake healthy. Does it have more than 3 ingredients on the label? Put it back and make your own. If you need help, just ask. This should be a pleasant part of your life not a burden.
Extra References used for this article
- https://www.t-nation.com/training/hormone-cycle-and-female-lifters
- https://bengreenfieldfitness.com/article/fitness-articles/planning-your-exercise-around-your-menstruation-cycle/
- https://www.precisionnutrition.com/fitness-menstrual-health