Menstrual Cycle Fitness Gain Optimization

Menstruation and Fitness Optimization

Migraines, nassau, bloat, and cramping interfering wi

th your fitness goals? Learn to manage and even optimize your fitness and performance gains with smart nutrition and exercise programming around your cycle.

Understand Your Unique Female Body and Your Menstrual Cycle

• The average cycle lasts 28 days but can run from 21-35 days and is not always like clockwork.

• Your cycle is broken into TWO -14 day phases.

• Your cycle begins on Day ONE- this day is the day your period starts. Consider scheduling a key workout or goal race one day 1-5 of your period when you

feel best as hormones are lowest.

• Days 1-14 is the follicular phase (Least amount of hormones during period- good for performance gains and reduced perceived exertion).

• Days 15- 28 is the Luteal phase

• Ovulation occurs right in the middle of the follicular and luteal phases..

• Rising and falling hormone levels trigger all of the above.

After your period ends at about day 5-6 of your cycle, your ovaries gradually start upping the production of estrogen during the follicular phase- rise of FSH (follicle

stimulating hormone) during the first days of your cycle as a few ovarian follicles are stimulated to mature eggs for release.

Around day 12, estrogen levels surge along with LH (luteinizing hormone) which causes ovulation and an egg is released from the fallopian tubes. After, estrogen levels dip again and will soon rise again as the body goes into nesting mode -in case the egg is fertilized.

Day 15-28, the luteal phase, hormones kick into high gear now and as progesterone surpasses estrogen to prepare the lining of the uterus for egg implantation while both estrogen and progesterone reaching peak levels about 5 days before menstruation and where PMS symptoms can rear up. Feel slowest when premenstrual-high hormone days.

If the egg is not fertilized, you shed the lining and your cycle starts back at day one. On Day ONE of the cycle, everything feels easiest now.

Don’t be afraid of your period! So many examples, including one of the fastest female marathon runners, Paula Radcliffe, who broke the long s

tanding Chicago Marathon Major record for while experiencing menstrual cramps.

So how does your cycle impact your performance?

Once your period starts, hormones are favorable for best performance! Once the body knows its in the clear of possible pregnancy, she goes into low mode and all that energy used to stimulate those hormones are freed up for you to use on performance and strength gains! This is where the idea that females are most like a man physiologically during your period and days that follow.

DAYS 1-5 of your period:

More force and greater strength gains (low hormone phas

e) especially on the first day of bleeding compared to premenstrual high hormone days.

So, run your most important workouts and races during your period. Avoiding scheduling during PMS days before your period. HOWEVER, research found that both V02 max and lactate levels are not affected throughout your cycle. So if you are a runner, this is good, but if you are a ball player or a lifter, studies do show a difference in performance markers such as reduced dexterity, thermoregulation, breathing rates, and even lower blood sugar levels - so you don't need to stop your sport but just need to be more focused during premenstrual days.

RecapDays 1-5 of your cycle - your period

• Better adaptation

• feel less pain

• recover faster.

Days 25-28 of your cycle- PMS

• Less muscle and performance gain

• Slower not b/c V02 or LActate effected rather exercise fee

ls harder before period

• impacts breathing rate, dexterity, and thermoregulation,

• BUT, this doesn’t mean you're doomed for bad performance- you can still perform very well if you are focused, eat more carbs, hydrate well, and prepare for thermo regulation optimization(heat training).

The Impact of hormone fluctuations or biomechanical messengers

• The cyclical rise and fall of hormones shows a decrease in aerobic capacity

• Found to affect exercise metabolism AKA how our body uses and spares FUEL (nutrition).

• Fuel usage affects our blood plasma volume levels impacting how we tolerate heat, affects moods, and thermoregulation.

Active Women Need Protein: Leucine and BCAAS (especially during high hormone phases)

• An upsurge of estrogen and progesterone in women has a profound effect on muscle cell turnover and protein synthesis.

• Women need more protein and trigger muscle growth factors

• Estrogen turns down the anabolic or growing capacity of muscle

• Progesterone turns up the catabolism:the break down- higher rates of muscle break down

• Makes it more difficult to access amino acids

• What to do? Simply hard to make and maintain muscle when these hormones are high

• Take in protein bcaas and Leucine -both muscle building amino acids before exercise and 30 min after exercise.

• Whey rich in leucine

• Chocolate milk has whey, carbs- aka sugar/glycogen to refill stores, but need more protein with that chocolate milk.

PMS - the last days of your cycle before your period begins

Estrogen reduces carb burning ability in preparation for possible pregnancy which is why many crave carbs during this time.

• You burn more during pms 5-10 percent uptick metabolism about 200-250 ( small choc bar or small bag of chips- coincidence lol)

• Crave carbs during PMS and need more especially if doing endurance: 10-15 protein/ 40 g carbs before any workout longer than 90 min-

• And 40-50 gram carbs combined with protein and fat in real food, not straight carbs from gels per hour while you are out there running, biking, playing, lifting.

• Estrogen Increases fat burning but reduces carb burning ability.