Menstrual Cycle Basics
This is for personal trainers who want to get proficient in understanding the 4 phases of the menstrual cycle, the biology and how that affects important training factors like exercise performance, appetite and sleep.
If you don’t know me yet, I’m Omega - I’m an exercise scientist and menstrual cycle educator and this is one of my personal training students who is using the method I teach in the Confident Menstrual Cycle Coaching Academy to assess and address hormonal imbalance for people within her community.
So in this lesson, we’ll review:1. Cyclical Biology
2. Hormone effects on training
3. Hormone effects on appetite
4. Hormone effects on sleep
1. Cyclical Biology There are 4 distinct phases of the menstrual cycle:1. The menstrual phase / early follicular phase (3-5 days)*
2. The follicular phase / late follicular phase (4-6 days)*
3. The ovulatory phase. And that’s usually right in the middle of the menstrual cycle, but that can vary. (1-3 days)*
4. The luteal phase which can be broken down into the early, mid & late luteal phase (11-14 days)*
*note: the days of the cycle can look different for each person.There are 5 important hormones that control the cycle and they are:
-Luteinizing Hormone / LH
-Follicular Stimulating Hormone / FSH
-Estrogen-Testosterone-Progesterone
The menstrual cycle is an orchestra of the brain and ovaries communicating! And the menstrual cycle always begins in the menstrual phase.
Phase 1: The Menstrual PhaseThis phase is characterized by lower hormones and usually lasts anywhere from 3-7 days. So all those hormones I mentioned above are really low here. After a person stops bleeding, there is a rise in the hormone estrogen, which then causes a rise in energy too.
Phase 2: The Follicular Phase
This is the follicular phase and is characterized by the follicle inside of the ovary maturing to become an egg.
Once estrogen concentrations reach a critical point, there is a rise in gonadotropin release hormone (GnRH), which then increases Luteinizing Hormone. This is what triggers ovulation. Phase 3: OvulationOvulation is characterized by the rupturing of the follicle and the egg within the follicle releasing into the uterus via the fallopian tube.We can actually test ourselves to see if ovulation has occurred and I explain that in this video on tracking the menstrual cycle, which I’ll link to in the comments below. The basal body temperature rises .5 degrees (F) after ovulation.Not only that, testosterone also increases during ovulation as well. Phase 4: Luteal PhaseAfter ovulation, we enter the early luteal phase. In this phase, the now ruptured follicle (which I like to think of an egg shell) starts releasing progesterone and small amounts of estrogen. In the mid luteal phase, we have peak progesterone and a little more estrogen. And finally in the late luteal phase, estrogen and progesterone decrease. And the rapid drop of both of those hormones is what ultimately causes the menstrual cycle to start all over again with the menstrual phase.
Exercise & Hormones
Since our hormones estrogen and testosterone aid in muscle recovery and muscle growth, we are going to experience more muscle growing and repairing potential during the ovulation window when concentrations of the hormones are high. This 2021 study shows us that after ovulation, in our luteal phase, our body actually uses less carbohydrate for fuel and more free fatty acids for fuel. And as trainers, we should pay attention to these differences in substrate utilization (which is how carbs, fat and protein are used for exercise)
Hunger & Hormones
Now onto hunger cues. In the menstrual education world, it is getting more and more known that hunger increases in the second half of the cycle, namely in the early and mid luteal phase when progesterone concentrations are higher. This study by Draper et. al. gives a unique glimpse as to why this might be. Because our body is preparing for potential pregnancy, we are using more amino acids, vitamin D and magnesium. So advising our clients to load up on those specific nutrients is very supportive to cycle health.
Sleep & Hormones
Finally let’s look at sleep. In the second half of the cycle, the luteal phase, progesterone and cortisol seem to have a positive relationship. When progesterone is high, cortisol also gets a little boost. And most of us know that in the circadian cycle, cortisol is the wake up hormone and melatonin is the go-to-sleep hormone. Now this slight increase in cortisol affects everyone differently. But some people do find that their sleep quality is impacted in the second half of their cycle. This slight increase in cortisol can make it harder to fall or even stay asleep. So this is an important factor to take into account as a personal trainer too.
If sleep quality is impaired, cyclically, we need to change our client’s training program to meet this increase in stress hormone. I’ll share a video at the end here that will help you understand exactly how to do that.
Becoming a Menstrual Cycle Educator
If you want to go from not really understanding the cycle to being a cycle expert so you can not only help your clients become the fittest but also the most aligned with their cycle so that they can perform their best in every area of life, consider applying for my Confident Menstrual Cycle Coaching Academy. This is an application only program and the application process is simple. Just click this link to book your application call. On our call I’ll ask a few application questions and together, you and I will decide if working together is a fit for both of us.