Cycle phases affect exercise performance

Did you know your performance can change throughout your monthly cycle?

It could be the reason why on some days you feel like you can crush your work out and others the exact same workout can feel super difficult.

This can also be an indicator that your hormones are spot on, or maybe that they need a little special attention.

I’ve said this a few times in the past, but if you are new here on my page I’ll say it again. Your menstrual cycle should be completely unremarkable. No tender breasts, no mood swings, excessive water retention, no cramping or changes in bowel habit.

Generally speaking in traditional medicine we identify just 2 phases of the menstrual cycle: 👉follicular phase (1-14)

👉luteal phase (15-28)

However within these two phases there are the menstrual phase (days you bleed) and the ovulation phase (the day you ovulate, ~14).

The truth is however we can get even more nitty gritty with these days to tease out imbalances in hormones and how best to optimize your hormones while maintaining your elite performance

Follicular Phase (day 1-14)

Menstrual Phase is part of your follicular phase, it starts the first day of bleeding and lasts typically 3-7 days.

If all is working well, then energy should be good and any type/intensity of exercise should be ok. However when the woman starts her cycle and has a hormonal imbalance, impairment in detoxification, adrenal dysfunction, or simply has iron deficiency, exercise may need to be lower intensity or not performed until she has gone through those first few days of her cycle.

Typically estrogen and testosterone peak around day 12, allowing for great energy and lower hunger and greater insulin sensitivity, this sets the stage for ovulation day 14-15. If the body is struggling to mount adequate estrogen, holding back on intense exercise on cycle days 9-15 may be helpful to allow for ovulation to occur.

Ovulatory Phase (typically day 14-15)

This represents the day the egg is released from the ovary. If there is a hiccup in this process we may feel rundown, emotionally less stable, or experience breakthrough bleeding mid-month.

Luteal phase (day 15-28)

This is the time when our body becomes naturally a bit more insulin resistant in order to aid in the elevation of progesterone (should the egg be fertilized a massive spike in progesterone needs to occur). If Between cycle days 15-22 if all goes well, progesterone should peak at CD 22, along with another smaller peak in estrogen.

If a woman has inadequate progesterone elevation she may have lower belly bloat, body wide edema, fatigue, breakthrough bleeding, tender breasts etc.

If the ratio of progesterone/estradiol is inadequate (low progesterone or elevated estrogen) a woman may benefit from lower intensity exercise like yin yoga, walking, or low intensity body weight exercises but stay away from crossfit and HIIT style exercises.

Whether you are looking to implement an exercise program after recovering from a health challenge or if you’re looking to optimize your training to achieve a fitness goal, I always say, “test don't guess!” By gathering biometric data such as heart rate, heart rate variability, body temperature, and sleep patterns as well as laboratory tests for sex, adrenal, and thyroid hormones, we can identify the key ingredients to get you crushing your fitness goals!

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