Cycle syncing– a term that has been loosely thrown around recently and something we probably should have been made aware of decades ago.
And no, it’s not the alleged phenomenon that explains why you and your friend happen to be menstruating at the same time– a myth with no scientific backing!
It’s pretty intuitive when you think about it in context– ‘cycle’ refers to the female menstrual cycle, the painstaking process that we endure roughly 12 times a year, while ‘syncing’ refers to the alignment of certain behaviors with our cycle. The concept was coined by author and integrative nutritionist Alisa Vitti in her 2014 book, WomanCode, and it has more recently gained traction through TikTok and other social media platforms. In short, it refers to the act of aligning your lifestyle habits, like eating and exercise, with the fluctuations of hormones at each stage of our menstrual cycle. It urges us to consider how our hormone levels could have direct impact on both our physical and emotional states!
Before we dissect this, let’s cover the basics of the menstrual cycle. At the chemical level, a medley of interactions take place. This cycle is characterized by a complex interplay between several hormones and the female reproductive organs, and it consists of a roughly 28-day period divided into four key phases: menstrual, follicular, ovulatory, and luteal phases. The primary goal of our cycle is to prepare the uterus for fertilization and embryonic development through the thickening of the uterine lining; if implantation does not occur, the uterine lining, or the endometrium, is then shed during menstruation.
Most women have come to recognize certain cues that distinguish each phase. For example, we might notice how we feel more rejuvenated (and feel ourselves regaining our personalities) in our follicular phase, following the lethargy, excruciating pain, and irritability of menstruation. However, nothing beats the boost of energy often felt during ovulation, which has been identified as the phase that induces a more “magnetic” appeal; this is explained through increased levels of estrogen and testosterone, which result in “high energy and libido (or sex drive).” Then, once again, our energy (and all sense of will) start to plummet as we meet the beginning of the the follicular phase, a stage more commonly known for the onset of PMS, or premenstrual symptoms, a combination of out-of-character mood swings, weird food cravings, and even breast tenderness amongst other things.
In short, we experience an onslaught of emotional and physical disarray, and it’s a miracle we’re able to perform our day-to-day tasks as well as we do. At any point in time, it’s extremely important to educate ourselves on how we can feel our best at each phase. This is where the concept of cycle syncing comes into play.
I was initially exposed to this term through fitness influencers on social media, most notably, @alexmswan, who, as her bio states, engages in “everything cycle-syncing.” She has amassed over 200K followers on Instagram with only 47 posts- an impressive feat that calls into question the quality of her content. Her feed is a carefully curated bundle of healthy, whole-ingredient dessert, snack, smoothie/milkshake, and latte recipes catered to certain stages of the cycle. In addition to her content, other viral videos on cycle syncing feature the importance of certain foods, like dates, as superfoods for hormone regulation. Overall, there seemed to be emphasis on consumption of foods rich in fiber, iron, and magnesium, advice supported by an article by YaleNewHavenHealth, which pushed the idea of increasing intake of iron-rich foods in the week leading up to menstruation.
The same cycle-syncing recommendations exist for exercise as well. During menstruation, emphasis is placed on more restful, lower intensity exercises like yoga and walking. While the follicular phase might bring increased energy, the recommended workouts are something akin to light cardio or hiking. During ovulation, when our drive seems to be at its peak, it is encouraged to partake in more active HIIT (high-intensity interval training) workouts and cycling. Finally, the luteal phase sees a return to low impact exercise.
The more research I did online, the more I uncovered about the intricacies of cycle syncing; there are a plethora of choices we can make and can continue learning to integrate into our daily routines. It’s honestly a wonder I’d never heard of this idea until this past year; I feel it should be general knowledge, especially to those who are often at loss of how to combat many of the debilitating symptoms that persist during and after menstruation.
However, according to several sources, there is still much work to be done. As much of this rhetoric is molded by influencers and relies more on “anecdotal” than on scientific evidence, it’s important to question its credibility. To accomplish this, it is pivotal that more research is conducted- particularly in reproductive physiology. I look forward to seeing this field progress and understanding how impactful syncing to our cycles might actually be.