Understanding your period
It’s crazy that only now, in my late twenties, that I am really understanding my body and my period. I really wish this was something we were taught at school. We all know that periods come with a lot of baggage - feeling emotional, irritable, tired, angry, hungry… the list goes on! But learning to track and understand your cycle throughout the month can make such a huge difference!
The time of the month for most of us can be a pretty hard experience. Having now worked with so many women, it really does affect us all so differently. To really understand your cycle, you need to understand the four phases of our cycle and how they impact our training, nutrition and recovery.
The phases of your cycle
Menstruation
Follicular phase
Ovulation
Luteal phase
Now, this probably means nothing to you! The key is understanding how these link to the different weeks in your cycle and what they mean. Let me break it down.
Week 1 - Menstruation
This is essentially the ‘bleed’ and is when the lining of the uterus starts to shed, causing bleeding. The length of this phase can vary from person to person, and can vary from 3 to 8 days, but generally lasts around 5 days. You might feel a little tired and struggle with cramps in the first few days, but as your estrogen levels increase, your energy should start to increase as you come to the end of this phase. You might feel absolutely fine to train during this phase, so its best to listen to your body.
Week 2 - Follicular phase
The follicular phase starts on the first day of menstruation and ends with ovulation. Your estrogen and progesterone levels are continuing to rise, and you’ll have more energy in this phase. This is where you feel your strongest, so its your time to push yourself in the gym and aim for some PB’s. If your goal is to build muscle, eat your carbs - this will give you more energy and help fuel your performance in your sessions.
Week 3 - Ovulation
This is the release of the mature egg from the surface of the ovary. This usually occurs around mid-cycle, around 2 weeks before menstruation starts. Your energy will still be high in this phase, but will taper off towards the end. This is where you still want to train at a moderate intensity and push ourselves. It’s likely you’ll feel extra hungry in this phase, as the progesterone surge after ovulation raises your core body temperature, and therefore your metabolism. Listen to your body here!
Week 4 - Luteal phase
This is the final phase of the menstrual cycle. If your egg does not become fertilized after ovulation, your estrogen and progesterone levels drop and the cycle starts all over again (menstruation). This is the time to reduce training intensity (if you feel the need to) and listen to your body. It’s likely you’ll need more sleep as you’ll lack energy in this phase - say hello to emotions and mood swings here! It might also be a good time to supplement magnesium to help with muscle soreness and recovery.
Throughout the month, your hormones will constantly change which will impact your mood, hunger and energy levels. It’s also completely different for everyone - some women aren’t impacted much by their cycle, and others are completely wiped out. The best way you can help yourself is to understand you, your body and your period better!
I’ve absolutely loved tracking my period to help me understand my body better. I’ll list a few below that I’ve heard good things about.
Apps to track your period:
Flo - I’ve heard great things about this! Tracking, calendars, graphs. I know some of the special features do require an upgrade, so watch out for this!
Fitbit - this is what I use - it’s very basic but you can track your cycle easily, log how you’re feeling and predict your period like Flo.
Clue - shows you a visual graphic of your cycle and the free version does a really good job!
Happy reading!
Lucy x
Source: The Women’s Book, Lyle McDonald
