The Menstrual cycle and how it effects women differently throughout the month.

On average the Menstrual cycle lasts 28 days, but this does vary from women to women. Below is an overview of the phases of the cycle and how they can affect women physically and mentally.

Follicular Phase (First half of the cycle)

Menstruation (within the follicular phase):

·      Days 1-7 of the cycle. This is your period. On average this lasts 4/5 days but can be shorter or longer.

·      Hormones are low, so you may feel a bit ‘meh’ here.

·      Motivation and energy can be lower these first couple of days.

·      Not the best time for high intensity training or trying to hit any PB’s in the gym.

 Pre-Ovulation: (within the follicular phase still)

·      Post period. Days 5-13 (approx.) of the cycle.

·      Oestrogen rises here and peaks about day 14 for ovulation.

·      Mood and Motivation will be higher at this point.

·      Good time to try hit PB’s in the gym as strength will be higher.

·      Also a good time for higher intensity training.

Ovulation Phase:

·      This is Day 14, on average.

·      This is the start of Luteal phase.

·      This is the time you’ll feel best during your cycle.

·      Motivation, energy and strength will usually be at its best around ovulation, and the week before and after.

·      Good time to push training.

Luteal Phase (second half of the month)

Post-Ovulation:

·      The week after ovulation (day 15-21 ish).

·      Progesterone takes over here.

·      You feel calm, enjoying life, good sleep.

·      Feeling strong and motivated for workouts still.

·      Mood is still high at this point.

Pre-menstruation:

·      Last few days of the cycle which a few days before next period is.

·      Hormones; Oestrogen and progesterone, both lower here.

·      PMS symptoms start to arise.

·      Hunger is usually higher.

·      Possible mood swings.

·      Energy and motivation can start to decrease here.

·      Probably not a good time to aim for any PB’s in the gym.

·      May need to reduce exercise intensity before menstruation.

 Please note all women are different, some wont experience so many symptoms.

Once you understand where you are on your cycle a little better, you should be able to understand/rationalise why you feel less motivated, are lower in mood, perhaps not as strong in the gym, hungrier etc, at certain points of the month. You may also want to pre plan rest days, or plan for days you may want more food/snacks or may feel more stress. Just generally be more prepared if you think you are quite effected by hormonal changes throughout the month.

 Weight fluctuates a lot for some women throughout the menstrual cycle as well. It is therefore a good idea to track weight weekly and then compare weight the same time each month, rather than week to week, especially if you are someone that tends to retain more water close to the end of the menstrual cycle, just before your period.   

Hopefully this overview helps you to understand the cycle a little better and quite how much goes on within us females throughout the month. There is however a lot more detail to it and plenty of documents out there to read if you want more in-depth information.

thanks for reading and keep an eye out for our next blog post soon!