While this might be one of the more obscure posts I write, it may also be one of the most important. The female menstrual cycle is a very serious thing, and in fact, can have a huge effect on women’s bodies, their minds, and their overall well being.
You might be saying right about now, “Mike, what do you know about it? You have never experienced it firsthand!” – that would be correct. But I have also learned about it from a nutrition standpoint and from a human physiological standpoint throughout my years of education, and continuing education. So there’s that.
The female menstrual cycle can be a very daunting experience for many women, often crippling them around the time of their period, and making it tempting to eat anything and everything in sight.
My goal of this article is to help explain why certain things happen, and what you can do to stay on track, and make the most of that often miserable time. Guys, tune this one out – or not – listening to the science here might help you better understand what she’s going through, and maybe you can score some bonus points 😉
The menstrual cycle is purely controlled by hormone fluctuations and cascades, and can essentially be broken down into two phases: the follicular phase (Day 1 of menses, ending at ovulation) and the luteal phase (ovulation to the first day of menses).
So from a hormonal approach, what happens?
- The follicular phase (Day one of a woman’s period) – rising to high estrogen, low progesterone
- The luteal phase – high estrogen and HIGHER progesterone
- The premenstrual period (late luteal aka “leave me the hell alone phase”) and menses – rapid drop in both hormones
By looking at the effects on the two sex hormones, this really doesn’t help explain much in regards to how they affect the body composition, and especially fat storage or loss. We need to look deeper into the hormone effects on our main anabolic (building) hormones.
- Estrogen makes women more insulin sensitive (less insulin needed to store glucose)
- Progesterone make women more insulin resistant (more insulin needed to store same amount of glucose)
- Both and anti-cortisol (anti stress)
So what do these mean for muscle building, fat loss, and over all well being?
- Follicular phase has higher estrogen, therefore more insulin sensitive, meaning less fat storage, some fat burning and is primed for muscle gain.
- Beginning luteal phase is for less muscle building, but good fat burning – as we see a 2.5-11% RISE in metabolism
- Later luteal phase is a more catabolic time (burning fat and muscle).
- In the later luteal phase, ie. premenstrual phase, the steep drop off in both estrogen and progesterone cause increases in stress, and drops in positive neurotransmitters (thus leading to PMS and sweet/carb cravings)
How to tailor your workouts and diet… (what you have all been waiting for!)
Starting off, I want to say that not all women are exactly alike, and by no means are these blanket statements that cover everyone – but they should be helpful in understanding your body better, and how you could potentially adapt your training plan around your phases.
First, don’t weigh yourself around your period. The bloat from water retention can be very unsettling, and can really mess with your head. It’s not uncommon for women to gain 5-10 pounds around their period.
- Avoid salty foods
- Drink more water (yes, that seems counter intuitive)
- Sip herbal teas
Second, looking at how the sex hormones affect insulin sensitivity, there may be some recommendations to be made based off of carbohydrate intake. While carbs alone don’t cause weight gain (excess calories do) they can lead to greater water retention and thus lead to a lower psychological well being based off of weight (remember DON’T weigh yourself) or even appearance (belly bloat).
Remember, estrogen makes a woman more insulin sensitive, and estrogen and progesterone are both anti-stress hormones, so most women can better handle carbs in the follicular phase and be less tolerant in the luteal phase, mostly in the late luteal phase.
For exercise purposes, one of the most hormonally stressful forms of exercise is long duration, medium intensity cardio (your daily jogs).
Because of the anti stress properties of both sex hormones, long steady state cardio may be best when performed during the follicular phase, and early luteal phase (when both hormones are higher) – and estrogen will help maintain muscle, especially during the follicular phase.
Think of the follicular phase as a time to focus on muscle building, and the late luteal to premenstrual as a time to tighten up your diet and really focus on getting the most out of your fat burning hormones.
Breaking up your cycle may look like this:
Follicular Phase –
- Weight training focus 3-4 days per week, and long duration cardio 2-3 times per week (as it will be better tolerated)
- Keep diet the same as you have been doing, with normal or even slightly higher carb intake around workout days.
Luteal Phase –
- Weight training 2-3 days per week, and shorter duration – higher intensity cardio, with plenty of rest – 2-3 days per week
- Focus on adding on some VERY low intensity, relaxing exercise – walking, yoga, meditation
- Keep diet roughly the same, but be more aware of cravings and overall carb intake (first and foremost, maintain a caloric deficit if fat loss is goal)
In dealing with cramps (late luteal):
- If you know you react more to carbs, AND have bad cramps, focus on limiting sugars and white breads leading up to your period, as these can contribute to worse cramps.
- Also, if menstrual cramps are bad, try supplementing with Vitamin D3 – 2000 IU – year round (helps with inflammation), not just during your period!
If anything, I hope this post helps women better understand what is happening in their bodies, and how they can make the most of certain times during their monthly cycle.
Like what you read? Want to get up to date blog posts sent directly to your email? Sign up below!
[blog_subscription_form]
Stay healthy my friends,