Also listen to episodes 59, 61, 86 on the Knight Fit Podcast for a review of this too!
The menstrual cycle (when healthy/regular) is anywhere from 28-30 days on average, though some variance is normal.
The front half of the cycle is the follicular phase which is 14 days on average. The follicular phase starts with your period (menses) for 3-7 days. The follicular phase is characterized as the “low hormone” phase and is when estrogen, progesterone, LH (luteinizing hormone) and FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) are low. In the later follicular phase, around day 5-6, one dominant follicle in the ovary begins to mature, producing increasing levels of FSH and estrogen which causes the uterine lining to thicken and rebuild. Estrogen peaks around the start of ovulation (day 14-16).
Then, when healthy and regular, ovulation occurs and lasts 12-36 hours on average. During ovulation, the mature egg is released from the ovary. Estrogen levels peak just before ovulation, triggering a surge in luteinizing hormone (LH) which causes the follicle to rupture and release the egg.
On day 15-16 the luteal phase begins and lasts for an average of 14 days. The luteal phase is characterized as the “high hormone” phase as both progesterone and estrogen rise together. During this phase, the rise in progesterone and estrogen prepares the uterus for the potentially fertilized egg (pregnancy). If the egg is not fertilized, progesterone and estrogen drop, causing the shedding of your lining and the end of the cycle (start of the next cycle).
During ALL of these changes, how we store glycogen, our energy levels, our mood, our desire to train, our sleep, our ability to get pregnant, our outlook and MORE is impacted. It’s CRUCIAL to understand your own body and hormonal changes.
Furthermore, irregularities in this pattern are important to note! Conditions like hypothalamic amenorrhea (loss of period due to an energy deficiency), PCOS, low progesterone, stress induced amenorrhea, etc. can all cause issues outside of just your period—an irregular cycle often causes irregularity in other vital systems within the body.
I track my hormones daily using Inito Fertility Monitor (save 15% code “knight15”).
Depending on which phase of your cycle you are in, it can impact how you train:
Follicular Phase
-higher pain tolerance, primed for high intensity
-carb-loading in later follicular phase is recommended as high estrogen can block glycogen storage
-strength training in later follicular phase with higher estrogen can be impactful
Ovulation Phase
-body is primed for strength training and high intensity efforts
Luteal Phase
-body is NOT primed for high intensity
-progesterone is a catabolic hormone (breaks down muscle) and can cause lethargy/fatigue and impair glycogen usage
-PMS symptoms can cause poor training
-more fluid retention
I hope this helped and happy training!
