I can empathize with my female clients who encounter unexpected challenges in their regular workout routines. Driven by curiosity and a deep understanding of the female body, I delved into the latest research on how the menstrual cycle impacts a woman’s ability to exercise.
In the fitness world, there’s a prevailing belief that consistent, strenuous effort is the only path to achieving results, regardless of gender. However, due to the presence of gender bias in exercise science, much of the research on effective workout regimens primarily involves male participants.
As a result, exercise recommendations are often presented as one-size-fits-all solutions. Women of all life stages eagerly embrace the latest fitness trends in pursuit of positive outcomes. The pressure to maintain a specific body shape frequently drives their workout motivations. Nevertheless, during certain phases of the menstrual cycle, the “always push harder” mindset clashes with days of lower energy, leaving women vulnerable to self-criticism.
In my role as a personal trainer and lifelong enthusiast of exercise, I’ve gained a fresh perspective on the intersection of exercise and the menstrual cycle. By acquiring a comprehensive understanding of our monthly hormonal fluctuations, we can maximize our workouts during peak physical readiness while reducing intensity during periods when our bodies are less receptive to strenuous activity.
When we learn how to synchronize our exercise routines with our menstrual cycles, we harness the power of our female biology, enabling us to work smarter, not harder.
To achieve harmony with our bodies instead of working against them, it’s crucial to develop a keen awareness of the different phases of the menstrual cycle.
The Menstrual Cycle Phases
The menstrual cycle spans an average of 23–38 days and encompasses three key phases.
Follicular Phase
Commencing on the first day of your period, the follicular phase is marked by the lowest levels of female hormones during the entire month. This phase is when the female body most closely resembles that of a man (4Trusted Source).
Extending for 5–6 days beyond your period’s conclusion, this phase lasts for 12–14 days. As your period concludes, estrogen levels gradually rise, leading to the release of luteinizing and follicle-stimulating hormones, eventually culminating in mid-cycle ovulation.
Ovulation
Ovulation signifies the release of an egg from your body. If sperm is present during this phase, it presents a prime opportunity for fertilization and pregnancy to occur. In a 28-day cycle, ovulation typically transpires around the midpoint, often near day 14.
The Luteal Phase
Following ovulation, the luteal phase takes over, spanning the latter part of your menstrual cycle and introducing significant hormonal shifts.
During this phase, estrogen experiences a moderate resurgence, but the key player is progesterone, which comes into play, accompanied by several physiological changes.The luteal phase concludes when progesterone reaches its peak. If pregnancy hasn’t occurred, both estrogen and progesterone levels drop, signaling your brain to initiate menstruation and commence a new cycle.
Now that we’ve grasped the fundamental hormonal transformations throughout the menstrual cycle, let’s delve into the physiological alterations that can impact your exercise routine.
The Impact of Hormonal Fluctuations
The initial segment of your cycle, the follicular phase, is characterized by low hormonal activity. Typically, the only noticeable cycle symptoms are related to your period.
This phase, free from hormonal complications, might seem like the ideal time to exert maximum effort during your workouts.
However, it’s essential to note that the event of ovulation is marked by a slight increase in a woman’s body temperature. While this temperature rise might not appear significant on a thermometer, it’s crucial to recognize that this elevated temperature persists beyond ovulation, spanning the entire second half of your cycle.
Due to this heightened temperature during the luteal phase, a woman’s body becomes more sensitive to exercising in hot or humid conditions (think hot yoga, working out in a warm gym, or running on a scorching summer day). This can significantly impact athletic performance.
Furthermore, progesterone, a hormone present in the luteal phase, causes an increase in your resting heart rate and breathing rate. These three symptoms can collectively be perceived as added strain on your body, particularly during exercise, making you feel like you need to exert more effort than usual.
Another characteristic of progesterone is its catabolic effect, which means this hormone tends to break down tissues.
This aspect becomes significant when engaging in strength training during the latter part of your monthly cycle.
In typical circumstances, strength exercises involve resistance against which you work – whether it’s your body weight, resistance bands, cables, free weights, or similar. This resistance generates tension within the muscles being worked.
Muscle tension, induced by repetitively lifting a challenging load, results in microscopic tears within your working muscles. Subsequently, your body repairs these tiny tears by regenerating muscle tissue, leading to muscle growth and increased strength.
However, when progesterone is present during the second half of your menstrual cycle, it can impede this protein regeneration process, negatively affecting muscle repair.
Embrace Your Biological Rhythm for Effective Exercise
Incorporating a few straightforward habits into your routine can significantly enhance your workouts by aligning them with your menstrual cycle.
Start by Tracking Your Cycle
To optimize your exercise routine in harmony with your menstrual cycle, the essential first step is tracking it.
This process is quite simple. Keep a digital thermometer and an alarm clock next to your bed. Each morning, as soon as you wake up (maintaining a consistent wake-up time is crucial for accuracy), before doing anything else, take your temperature and record it.
This practice is particularly vital during the first half of your cycle. It allows you to establish a baseline for your morning temperature. By consistently noting this temperature at the same time daily, you’ll notice a slight increase around mid-cycle, indicating ovulation.
Tracking your menstrual cycle eliminates guesswork and empowers you to anticipate your body’s exercise capacity.
Please note that if you’re using birth control, which can inhibit ovulation, tracking your cycle this way may be more challenging.
Select Suitable Exercises for Different Phases
- Follicular Phase: During this phase, you can engage in high-intensity interval training (HIIT), powerlifting, heavy weightlifting, plyometrics, long runs, hot yoga, hill repeats, or other vigorous exercise modalities. Ensure you incorporate at least one rest day between intense workouts and stay vigilant for signs of overtraining, as some studies suggest a higher susceptibility to muscle damage from overtraining during this phase.
- Luteal Phase: Respect your body’s heightened hormonal state during this phase. Opt for moderate cardio without breathless intervals, outdoor walks, hikes, strength training with lower to moderate weights and higher repetitions, yoga, and Pilates. This is an excellent time to focus on improving your flexibility, and it’s advisable to avoid exercising in hot environments.
Work in Harmony with Your Body
Exercise research and recommended regimens primarily rely on data derived from male subjects, who don’t experience the monthly hormone fluctuations that women do.
Consequently, women often attempt exercise programs that aren’t tailored to their unique biology, leading to confusion when their energy levels fluctuate.
By gaining a deep understanding of your menstrual cycle phases and diligently tracking them, you empower yourself to take charge of your exercise routine, avoiding frustrating workouts and self-criticism.