Grab a cup of tea for this one, it’s quite in depth.
A complete menstrual cycle lasts somewhere between 24-35 day. People seem to think that 28 days is typical but this only makes up 12% of women.
The cycle is split into two phases, the follicular phase (menstruation to ovulation) and the luteal phase (ovulation to menstruation).
So each phase has two phases of its own but for ease I’ve split them into the 4 below:
- Menstrual- The time of menstruation or bleeding.
- Follicular – Your pre-ovulation phase.
- Ovulation – The time around ovulation.
- Luteal – Your premenstruum.
Menstrual Phase
The days around the start of your period, hormones drop to their lowest level. You may feel this acutely with feelings of overwhelm, fatigue, teariness and feeling anxious, but if you don’t understand why you’re feeling this way, it starts to make sense when your period starts. For some it can bring a feeling of relief.
Here’s how you’ll know when menstruation is arriving:
- Your BBT (basal body temperature) drops just before
- The bubble of premenstrual pressure has finally popped and bloating, breast tenderness and emotional tension starts to subside.
- Menstrual pain (progestaglandin starts to do it’s job of contracting the muscles around your uterus for blood flow to occur causing inflammation and pain) ibuprofen and hot water bottle at the ready as it’s more effective than paracetamol.
Things to focus on now
- Setting boundaries – based around you and your needs.
- Schedule some time to do nothing or something that is just for you.
- Rest – yes life must go on but some form of rest in here is important to restore your energy for the weeks ahead.
Period lengths do vary, however, if periods are particularly short or long or very heavy and painful, speak to your doctor as there can be a reason for this. Some doctors see the pill as the solution to all female reproductive health problems, however, this is not always the answer as it completely prevents the process of a menstrual cycle happening and has an impact on hormones. The menstrual cycle is a marker of health so it could be helpful to seek other solutions.
In exercise terms, this is the time to just maintain, it’s not a personal best week, just keep working through at around 70% and don’t give yourself a hard time if you don’t feel like Super Woman right now, that time will come. In terms of nutrition a few good foods to eat at this point are leafy greens, liver, clams and white beans as they are full of iron which is important as we are losing iron through bleeding. Dark berries and dark chocolate are also good as they pack in the antioxidants and banana for the potassium.
Follicular Phase
This week is a good week, the point where you get your energy back, the fog has finally lifted and you’re feeling switched on. You can now look outwards, it’s your creative peak and the best time to say yes to the party invite. This is the time to start putting those plans into action, start drafting the work. Ok, you can hit the gym. It’s PB week so get after it! Don’t forget about your nutrition especially if you’re hitting the gym hard, get some carbs in, oats if they work for you, keep the leafy greens and make sure you’re getting a good balance of fats and protein. Avocados, broccoli, grapefruit, lemons/limes, nuts, chicken and liver if you can. These will all help to keep your nutrition on point so you can get the most out of your training. This is one of my favourite times of the month, nothing bothers me that much, I feel like I can cope with pretty much anything this week!
Ovulation Phase
This is the last push towards ovulation. Oestrogen is peaking, triggering Luteinising hormone and testosterone to arrive. The cumulative effect of all three hormones can be intense!
This is a time when resilience and strength can be high and you’re able to deal with what life throws at you.
Capability, confidence and sex appeal are high as is productivity. This is because in the run up to ovulation your hormones are trying to get you pregnant!
Even if you’re not trying to get pregnant this can be a great time of the month to enjoy going out, being social and trying new things. However, remembering boundaries is important as you can be tempted to say yes to a lot more than you should, potentially leaving you feeling burnt out and fatigued as you step into the luteal phase (pre period) the time that can be most challenging for a lot of women. But this is another great week for training and to keep the momentum going, so enjoy it and get the most out of it. Keep going with those dark berries and add in some asparagus and brussel sprouts, they are rich in vitamin C and K loaded with potassium, manganese, folates and B vitamins.
Luteal Phase
The final stage of our cycle before our period
Dumdumdum!!!! Enter PMS
Now some women sail through this phase of the cycle but for a lot of women it is the time where we struggle with symptoms the most.
- Bloating
- Fatigue
- Back ache
- Mood changes
- Food cravings
It’s the time when most of us want to hibernate, be quite as we feel too irritable to be around people, which can be tough when you have a job to go to.
Both oestrogen and progesterone have dropped which can be the cause of these symptoms and may also be the reason women seek out medical advice which can lead them to being put on the pill. Remember the pill does not fix the problem, it just stops the whole process of ovulation taking place so masks the problem.
If you know you suffer, planning ahead and not fill your diaries with commitments you don’t want to keep is a good start. Plan you time, with your hot water bottle and teary movie if needed. Point is, now is the time to look after yourself and slow down.
If you feel like your symptoms are severe and affecting day to day life, it’s worth checking to see if you are suffering from PMDD.
Honestly, if you really don’t feel like dragging yourself to the gym then DON’T, go for a walk on your own, get out in nature and just take the time to breath. If you manage to get to the gym you’re looking at 60% effort. Your muscle are likely to already be aching and you’re probably tired so just move and focus on moving well, nothing fast or heavy. Trust me, your body will not thank you if you push it right now.
With regards to nutrition, all your good habits can tend to go flying out the window right now because all you can think about is cakes and chocolate. The odds are stacked against you on the hormone front and you’re feeling tired anyway, you have to get your energy from somewhere, so thats the point at which your brain starts convincing you that those sugary treats are just what you need. You can help those cravings by making sure you are getting some good starchy carbs in, sweet potatoes, root vegetables like squash and parsnip or rice are all good if your digestion can handle them. Bananas, apples, dates and figs should all go some way to helping with the sweet craving and make sure you’re staying hydrated as that will help to curb those cravings too. But honestly, if you want a bar of chocolate or cake, have one and don’t feel guilty about it. If you are dieting, now is the time to take a break and just eat at maintenance.
So how do you know when you are in which phase?
Tracking, the same as you may track calories and macros to know how much you are eating, tracking your cycle is a powerful way of understanding why you feel the way you do. It can answer the mystery of why you feel tearful or sexy, strong or ravenously hungry. There are a number of great tracking apps now so do some research, I like https://www.kindara.com. Obviously your cycle is not the whole answer for things that may be happening to us but it is something to pay attention to.
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Holly Skinner. 