The more you know, the better you’ll feel.
The best and worst part of being a woman is way more complicated than you thought. The more you learn, the better you can treat your body and become the best version of yourself.
I had an issue with this while I was working out. I struggled at different parts of the month and sometimes felt like my body was working against me. I did some research on how the phases of the menstrual cycle impact the ability to work out, and I hope you can use this information to push yourself to your athletic goals.
The first thing I learned is that there are two main stages to the menstrual cycle: follicular and luteal. The follicular stage is the start of the period. This is when the body is shedding the lining and it is easier to hydrate. There is often some inflammation but the hormones in the body have decreased dramatically. The second stage is the luteal stage. This is the stage where your body has very high hormones in hopes of becoming pregnant. Your body needs more carbs because the hormones are trying to conserve the current energy sources.
But how does this impact your workouts? Because your body is in such different states, there are certain exercises that will maximize your workout based on the stage in the cycle.
When you are in the follicular state, your workouts should include high-intensity interval training (HIIT). This is because your body is able to access carbohydrates and can maintain and build muscle easier. Some good workouts would be resistance training and cardio-based HIIT workouts.
There are also many other things that go into keeping your body healthy at this stage. One of the most important is keeping your body fueled with the most effective foods. Some of these would be food with high Omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, tuna and nuts. This is proven to help reduce the amount of inflammation that one could feel during this time. Another way to effectively fuel your body is by increasing your iron intake. Iron can be found in meat, beans and whole grains. This is helpful because as your body is losing iron, you are able to continue providing it with this nutrient it needs. Lastly, because your body is able to hydrate, make sure you stay cool and drink water.
During the luteal stage, it is better to focus on recovery and lower intensity workouts. The energy in your body is locked up so it can be hard to work out to a high ability. Though it is possible to continue to compete at a high level, it is very important to listen to your body during this time.
The body needs more calories during this time, so it is important that you eat before and after workouts. The body burns a lot of calories preparing for the menstrual cycle so it is important that you help your body prep. It is more important to have carbohydrates during this time to help fuel your body. Water is important but it can sometimes be harder to remember during this time. Make sure you are aware of how you are drinking water and hydrating your body.
Of course, everybody works differently and prefers slightly different eating and workout schedules. I was able to use this information to understand how to care for my body more and understand how my hormones were impacting my workout practice. Hopefully this information can help you stay more informed about what is happening inside your body and help you take care of your body.