THE MYTH OF CYCLE SYNCING: THE IMPACT OF MENSTRUATION ON OUR TRAINING AND NUTRITION
We had the pleasure of hosting Dr. Alyssa Olenick on a episode of the How to: Fitness Podcast where we dove into the menstrual cycle and its impact on our training and nutritional needs.
In the episode Dr. Alyssa delves into her research on sex differences and metabolic response to exercise and shares her knowledge on menstrual cycle importance and its impact on training and nutrition. Alyssa also addresses misconceptions about 'cycle syncing' and offers practical advice for fitness and nutrition based on individual needs, urging against a 'one size fits all' approach.
If you spend any time on social media, you are probably aware of the massive amounts of information out there promoting cycle syncing — the idea that individuals who menstruate should adjust their nutrition and workouts to different phases of the menstrual cycle.
In this podcast episode, Dr. Olenick gives us a rundown of the phases of the menstrual cycle in more depth.
Menstruation, or the menses phase, is the first day of your period when the lining of your uterus sheds (if pregnancy hasn’t occurred).
The Follicular Phase overlaps with the menses phase and starts on the day you get your period. It dens at ovulation. During this phase, estrogen rises.
Ovulation occurs around day 14 of a 28 day cycle (though there is a lot of variability in everyone’s individual cycles). During ovulation, there is a sudden increase in lutenizing hormone that causes your ovary to release its egg.
The Luteal Phase is when the egg leaves your ovary and travels to your uteros. In this phase, progesterone rises to prepare the uterus for pregnancy. If pregnancy doesn’t occur, estrogen and progesterone drop and the cycle begins again.
While this is a general outline of a menstrual cycle, every individual has a different cycle, and our cycles can even vary between month to month.
In this podcast episode, we learn that there are indeed changes in nutritional needs, energy needs, strength, performance, and recovery throughout the cycle. However, those needs are so variable from person to person that there is no way to give a “one size fits all” solution for how to eat or train throughout the cycle.
Cycle syncing recommendations are not only lacking in supportive evidence, but cannot apply to everyone.
Here’s what we can do to optimize our nutrition and performance throughout our cycle:
Ensure we are eating enough. Being underfed is far more impactful on our exercise, energy, and hormones than anything else. Eating enough is going to ensure more energy for performance and recovery through all stages of your cycle.
Ensure we are resting. While your personal experience may dictate how you feel during different phases of your cycle, rest is important no matter what. If you are training at high intensity constantly, with little rest, chances are you will feel poorly no matter what phase of your cycle you are in.
Follow a solid training program instead of hopping around from program to program or doing workouts with no structure.
Become the expert on your own cycle. How do YOU feel during different phases of your cycle? Lean into your own experience instead of letting a program dictate what you should or shouldn’t do.
There is so much wisdom shared in this episode, but the biggest takeaway is that your own experience is valid. The changes in energy, appetite, motivation, and mood you experience throughout your cycle are real and they are unique to you.
The “solutions” that help us feel better and more supported through our menstrual cycles are often simpler than we want them to be: adequate energy availability, rest days, hydration, prioritizing sleep, etc. The skills and tools we can gain around our cycle gives us permission to be more in tune with our bodies and to navigate our needs on our own terms.
show notes
2:10 Dr. Alyssa Olenick shares her background, research experience, and her history as an athlete. She has incredible experience as a research scientist as well as in her training as a hybrid athlete.
5:40 There are major gaps in sex differences in the world of exercise physiology and Alyssa’s research focuses on those differences and improving health outcomes of females across the entire lifespan.
10:45 Alyssa gives a rundown of the menstrual cycle — how our hormones change across various phases of a cycle and what the implications are. There is a lot of variability in every individual’s cycle and these phases are never one size fits all.
16:24 We discuss the confusion, controversy, and misinformation around cycle-specific workouts and cycle syncing. Not only does the idea of cycle syncing not have support from the research, but it doesn’t help us listen in to our own bodies or own needs.
19:56 What we can watch out for when trying to identify misinformation: absolutisms, assumptions that we all have a 28-day cycle, suggestions to avoid any high intensity exercise, or messaging talking only about cortisol. None of these suggestions are evidence based and the idea of a one size fits all blanket solution doesn’t teach us how to manage our own intensity, volume, or exertion.
24:05 Our education should feel empowering. We are not frail, and it’s not helpful to create unnecessary barriers to movement. We talk about the problematic fitness industry messaging and how it overlooks our need for rest or doesn’t factor in individual needs.
30:00 What can we actually do to support ourselves, our hormones, and our training across our cycle? Alyssa talks about the impacts of our cycle on our performance across different phases and how it may be related to our motivation, performance, and mood. We talk about rest, carbohydrates, caffeine, and sleep alongside changing hormones.
38:18 Our energy needs may be higher during our luteal phase and the need to be accurately fed at all times can have a huge impact on our energy, performance, recovery, and how we feel in general. Alyssa dives into our nutritional needs across the menstrual cycle and even touches oncertain supplements.
44:41 The “solutions” that help us feel better and more supported through our menstrual cycles are often simpler than we want them to be: adequate energy availability, rest days, hydration, prioritizing sleep, etc. The skills and tools we can gain around our cycle gives us permission to be more in tune with our bodies.
48:19 How can male trainers and coaches support their clients who menstruate? Alyssa gives us her opinions on this topic.
The HTF podcast is just one of many avenues in which I share health and nutrition education. You can find more episodes here on Apple Podcasts or here on Spotify, or check out other free resources such as free guides, guest podcast interviews, and more blog posts on our Resources page.