4 things personal trainers get wrong about hormones

Most personal trainers who have an interest in hormone health fall into 1 of 4 camps. 


        # 1 The Illuminated Syncer:

            Example:  You may have discovered the concept of cycle syncing and experienced that "aha" moment where everything clicked. Your journey became a revelation, and suddenly, you found a profound connection between hormonal rhythms and overall well-being. 

            # 2 The Skeptical Explorer:

            Example: You were initially skeptical about cycle syncing. Yet, through diligent exploration and exposure to compelling research, you found enough evidence to intrigue you.

            # 3 The Doubter:

            Example: You outright dismiss cycle syncing as a load of nonsense. Perhaps they've encountered conflicting information or perceive it as a passing fad. You might challenge the status quo, questioning the validity of incorporating menstrual cycle insights into fitness.

            # 4 The Educated Advocate:

            Example: You recognize the importance of ongoing education, and you went deep into hormone health. You know how to navigates the complexities of the endocrine system. And you’ve become a well-educated advocate, incorporating nuanced approaches into your coaching toolkit.


Which camp resonates with you most?

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My name is Omega Zumpano, I’m an exercise scientist and menstrual cycle educator. And I’m here to make the fitness industry more hormone friendly and inclusive by educating personal trainers in hormone health here on youtube, on IG and in my Cycle Coach Academy certification program. My goal is that you  gain the confidence, skills and evidence based solutions to optimize and balance your clients hormones. My method is different because it was specifically designed for personal trainers like you who suspect they themselves might have hormone imbalances and suspect most of your client base does as well. 

My certification program, Cycle Coach Academy helped Anastasia gain the tools, skills and confidence supporting women’s hormones with nutrition. The result is that she helped her clients become more consistent. Not only does she have a method to implement with confidence, she has now hosted workshops and retreats there-by elevating her coaching practice to focus on female hormones


In this video, we’ll look at prevalent misconceptions surrounding menstrual cycle fitness and nutrition. Together, we'll explore the common misunderstandings that many trainers face. You will gain insights into interpreting research for personal fitness and nutrition goals. I'll share a case study from my 1:1 client Leslie, highlighting the impact of cyclical fitness coupled with proactive PMS nutrition. Throughout our discussion, I'll present evidence from various studies, including a meta-analysis on recovery during the period. Join the conversation by sharing your thoughts and experiences in the comments. And as always, this video aims to serve as a comprehensive guide for personal trainers, equipping you with the knowledge to refine your approach to hormone-friendly fitness.


#1 misconception many personal trainers have is a misunderstanding of hormonal research and its implications on exercise. If you've bought into the concept of cycle syncing, you may have been led to believe that exercise intensity should decrease in the luteal phase and peak before ovulation. While there's some truth to this in terms of substrate utilization (or the type of fuel our hormonal rythym is optimized to use), it represents a flawed interpretation of the available research NOW. What's often overlooked but crucial in the context of fitness? Any guesses?

It's not just about adjusting exercise intensity with the menstrual cycle; there's a more significant factor at play – Cyclical Nutrition for Exercise Performance, Recovery and PMS management. To comprehend why this aspect matters more than just altering exercise intensity, consider the role of glycogen, the stored muscle sugar. The nuanced understanding of how we use carbs differently throughout the cycle provides a holistic perspective on how nutritional choices impact exercise effectiveness, highlighting the inadequacy of focusing solely on cyclical exercise intensity.

This study in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, published in 2021 calls for the personalization of cyclical nutrition for women in sports. The research article shows us that glycogen utilization changes throughout the cycle (chart - Wohlgemuth),  so our ability to get that last rep in hinges on our ability to use glycogen. (add media of a woman lifting last rep). 

To summarize this research: the emerging evidence emphasizes the need for sex-specific nutritional strategies for active females, considering physiological differences influenced by sex hormones throughout life stages and menstrual cycle phases. While individualization based on specific goals is crucial, this review underscores the universality of basic requirements. The call for future research highlights the current lack of comprehensive studies on female-specific nutritional strategies for health, performance, and body composition, urging a more thorough understanding in the field for personal trainers to better support their female clients' unique nutritional needs.

So as you already know, our ability to change our body composition is contingent on our ability to build muscle…and our ability to build muscle is contingent on our ability to go to failure or near failure on exercise. In this process muscle glycogen (stored muscle sugar) is hugely important. And so too is restoring and replenishing muscle glycogen with nutrition.

And here is where the luteal phase exercise intensity comes into play: luteal phase research is extremely consistent on showing us that perceived levels of exertion increase in the luteal phase. So by far, getting to that final rep is going to be harder in the luteal phase. 

Couple this reality with the fact that about 90% of women experience performance altering changes like cramps, breast tenderness, mood changes, anxiety, sleep loss…just to name a few in the luteal phase. 

And when you start noticing all these things and you’re able to put to pieces together and you find….


that the exercise is only a small piece of the puzzle. The fuel and the management of symptoms is key for people in the luteal phase

My point is that, nutrition is actually way more important than exercise intensity

The #2  misconception coaches often have is the belief that a calorie deficit is essential for clients to change their body composition. I understand this assertion might be challenging for some, but let's get into the facts.

In a recent Instagram post that I'll link below, I discussed how caloric deficits downregulate LH/FSH through the neuropeptide kisspeptin. This mechanism could potentially inhibit ovulation, leading to issues related to hormone health, bone health, thyroid health and brain health. Notably, it's been demonstrated to decrease the accrual of lean tissue, even when protein intake is sufficient, as shown in this randomized controlled trial in the Journal of Physiology. 


While more research on this topic is needed, I'd like to illustrate this with a case study involving my 1:1 client, Leslie. She is a former dancer and now mom of 2. She aimed to address fatigue, maintain consistent exercise, and better understand her hormones. The aspiration to see her abs again was a secondary goal. PMS symptoms, including mood changes, gut issues, and skin blemishes, intensified during the luteal phase. Leslie's mission centered on feeling lean, toned, and thin, minimizing bloating and puffiness, and gaining strength, muscle coordination, happiness, and confidence in her appearance.

Now, let me walk you through the program I designed for Leslie:


Cyclical Fitness Plan

            •Leslie followed a personalized 3-month cyclical fitness plan based on her menstrual cycle and of course, we did corrective exercise as well.

Nutrition Recovery

            •She adhered to my cyclical nutrition chart, which I provide to all my clients. If you want to grab a copy, I will link to it below.

            •Increased caloric consumption during her luteal phase.

            •Utilized PMS-specific foods to combat fatigue

Exercise Independent Luteal Phase Recommendations

            •Increased calories from protein and fat.

            •Followed estrogen balancing basics in order to help Leslie manage the bloating, puffiness and mood change

The results for Leslie were transformative, as she shared in her testimonial
 She noticed changes in her muscles, subtle shifts in movement, and improvements in her skin. Sticking to cycle-specific foods resulted in reduced gastrointestinal upset, a lighter and happier feeling, and improved sleep. Leslie felt more attuned to her hormonal fluctuations, recognizing off days within each phase and understanding how she preferred to feel. Experiencing less body pain, resembling desirable soreness rather than injury, Leslie felt overall more grounded on the correct path. And she also updated me later that her body composition changed and she could start seeing her abs. All of this without any calorie deficits. We just improved HOW her body worked instead of contorting her food intake to fit into a box.

Number 3 thing that people get wrong is this:

you should take it easy in the late luteal phase. This is where most big fitness influencers would agree that this is non-sense. And you’d be surprised to find out that I agree. Luteal phase training is highly variable and this is what we know:

This research article in the Int. Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health IN FEBRUARY OF 2021 Showed that Luteal phase strength, aerobic capacity and anaerobic capacity shifts throughout the 14-ish days of the luteal phase. (carmichael). Here is what the authors have to say, 

“Athletes most commonly perceived performance to be best in all phases of the MC except the early follicular and late luteal phases [76] and performance was perceived to be impaired in the early follicular and late luteal phases compared to the rest of the MC [72,75,76].”

In the late luteal phase, we have consistent research that performance goes down and perceived exertion goes up. We also know that energy demand increases slightly and if those energy demands aren’t being met by nutrition, we are going to see performance go down as well as worsening PMS symptoms. 

This article in Scientific Reports published in October of 2018 , examined how the levels of certain chemicals and nutrients change throughout the menstrual cycle in healthy women. They found that during the luteal phase, which is the second half of the cycle, there were differences in amino acids and lipids, suggesting changes in the body's needs due to hormone fluctuations. These changes could affect anxiety and depression during premenstrual syndrome (PMS) or premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), highlighting the potential benefits of nutrition strategies focusing on protein, vitamin B6, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, and glutathione for women at risk.


So while it’s important to vary intensity throughout the luteal phase, it’s even more important to plan for the luteal phase in not only periodization, but nutrition as well. 


Let me call you to the FITT principal that you learned in your basic PT certification program: 

These are all the variables - frequency, intensity, time and type of exercise should shift throughout a well-periodized program. And the menstrual cycle just so happens to be a meso-cycle that we can work with while adjusting those variables. The overall intensity of the workout program you create decreases slightly towards the late luteal phase and you’ll need to scrutinize your own client’s details like recovery, cyclical nutrition etc…

So, here's the deal 
Educate Yourself: Hit the 'like' button if you're loving the research and keep in mind at the end of the video I’m going to share my Research Treasure Trove with you - a comprehensive compilation of studies and resources on menstrual cycle fitness and nutrition.



Number 4 thing that most PTs get wrong about the period specifically, is 1 of 2 things:

            1.         Workout Performance should increase in the bleed phase, so it gets better

            2.         Or 2, they believe, that you should take it easy in the bleed phase. 

This one is a bit of a paradox. While both are true, they are wrong when applied in the wrong scenario. 

If you’re training someone with high estrogen and high prostaglandins, for example, they are going to have worse performance in the bleed phase and are going to fall into the camp of someone who might even cancel sessions during their period. 

If you’re training a high performing athlete, you might find that they have a decreased performance during their late luteal phase, but perform better in their bleed phase. 

Keep in mind this meta-analysis published in the journal of Strength and Conditioning research in 2021 showed us that recovery is impacted during the period. In either case, for people who are on their period, you can optimize recovery by taking longer rest periods between sets, emphasize stretching post workout and foam rolling pre-workout and encourage a pre and post workout snack to aid in recovery. 

In closing, let's distill the key takeaways from our exploration of menstrual cycle fitness and nutrition:


            •Challenge the common misconceptions in the fitness industry. Recognize that hormonal research goes beyond exercise intensity, emphasizing the critical role of Cyclical Nutrition for holistic well-being and performance.


            •Make sure to Individualize Your Approach: Acknowledge the nuances of the menstrual cycle's impact on exercise performance. Tailor your training programs and nutrition strategies to align with the specific needs of yourself AND your clients to optimize their fitness journey.


As you absorb these insights, remember that this video is just the beginning. Get the Research Treasure Trove which will deepen your understanding of menstrual cycle health, fitness, and nutrition. It is a comprehensive compilation of studies and resources dedicated to help you understand the intricacies of the menstrual cycle. Get that by going to this link https://fitnessflowmethod.com/research-treasure-trove. Your journey toward hormone-friendly fitness starts here, and I'm excited to have you! 

If you want to take your expertise a little deeper watch this video on Cyclical Exercise Nutrition next. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vi7ebzCzbB4