Mastering Your Cycle: Training and Nutrition

Feeling overwhelmed with conflicting advice on how to eat and train throughout your menstrual cycle?

One moment you’re told to push through a tough workout, and the next, you’re advised to take it easy before your period. It’s enough to make anyone confused!

The truth is, training and nutrition around your cycle can be a powerful ally if approached with a little bit of information mixed with knowing your body.

By learning to listen to your body and understanding your unique hormonal landscape, you can thrive, no matter the phase.

So, let’s start by understanding your cycle—the cliff notes of what should have been taught to us in high school. 

Your Unique Female Physiology - The Rundown

We, as females experience not only a daily cycle but also a monthly cycle. Our levels of hormones fluctuate, which may leave you responding differently (in terms of mood, energy, etc.) to the workouts you do or the food you eat. Let’s dive in.

Aligning the different phases to the seasons helps to simply it; thinking about how you feel in winter (wrapping up warm, slowing down) can help you understand what your body is craving.

• Menstrual Phase (Winter): This phase marks the beginning of your cycle. Estrogen and progesterone levels are low, and your body is shedding the uterine lining. You may feel more fatigued and introspective. Inflammation can be higher for some, and symptoms like stomach pains, sore joints, and swelling in the legs can indicate that your body is struggling with inflammation.

• Follicular Phase (Spring): As the body prepares for ovulation, estrogen levels begin to rise, bringing an increase in energy and motivation. This phase is ideal for higher-intensity workouts and strength training. Most women feel their best during this phase; however, those with autoimmune diseases may feel a little off here, as the immune system is functioning at its best, which could exacerbate symptoms.

• Ovulatory Phase (Summer): This is when you have the most energy and strength, thanks to peak estrogen levels. It’s the best time for intense physical activity and pushing your limits if you are not a woman who is chronically stressed. The latter follicular phase and ovulation are when many women feel their best—but if you are really struggling in the luteal phase, I recommend concentrating on this phase onwards, as what you do in the phase before can set up the next.

• Luteal Phase (Autumn): Following ovulation, progesterone rises, which can lead to mood swings and fatigue. It's important to adjust your training during this phase. If you struggle during this time, I would favour gentler exercises and focus on recovery. If, however, you are good to go, make sure you are refuelling yourself. Don’t exercise fasted, and ensure you’re consuming enough whole plant carbohydrates. How we refuel after training in this phase can make or break our resilience.

The Role of Estrogen and Progesterone in Your Body

Understanding the roles of estrogen and progesterone in relation to your metabolism and energy levels can be a game-changer for many women. If you are tracking your cycle (which I believe every woman should), understanding when estrogen and progesterone rise and fall can significantly impact your well-being.

For example, you’ll notice that both hormones drop before your period, leading to many PMS symptoms. Additionally, they also dip just after ovulation, which can cause anxiety and/or depression in some women. Before tracking and understanding their physiology, many clients would beat themselves up for feeling low. Now they recognise, "Oh, my estrogen is low, so I’m feeling down," and can spend more time on self-care, like enjoying a bath or reading a romantic novel rather than feeling like the world is ending.

• Estrogen: She’s like the extroverted friend who brings the fun. This hormone is linked to increased energy and metabolism, particularly in the follicular and ovulatory phases. It helps regulate glucose metabolism, allowing your body to utilise energy efficiently. Most of the time, we feel great when she’s around, but if her levels rise too high—either due to estrogen pathway issues or perimenopausal fluctuations—we can experience anxiety, mood swings, inflammation, and fatigue.

• Progesterone: She’s the calming friend who keeps Aunty E (estrogen) in check. Rising during the luteal phase, progesterone can lead to increased fatigue and changes in metabolism, often resulting in heightened sensitivity to stress and potential weight gain. Training when progesterone is high requires extra attention to recovery and nutrient intake; otherwise, you’re likely to feel flat and take longer to recover.

Why We Should Train: The Benefits of Tailored Exercise

Training throughout your cycle isn’t just possible; it can be beneficial when done alongside good nutrition. Different exercises can help stimulate what your body might be lacking at various times. This is especially important during perimenopause, with hormones fluctuating significantly—our actions can help compensate for what our hormones are not doing.

• Menstrual Phase (Winter): If you’re feeling more inflamed than fatigued during this phase, I recommend doing some sprint interval training (SIT)—20 seconds all-out followed by 1.5 to 2 minutes of rest. Do this 6-8 times to help with inflammation; it’s not overly taxing and takes only about 15 minutes. Most women experience a dip at some stage in their cycle, so ensure you are nourishing yourself with the foods mentioned below to maintain your micronutrient levels.

• Follicular Phase (Spring) and Ovulation: This is the time to maximise your training. Use your increased resilience to push your body further—whether that’s through longer hikes or in the gym. Ensure you’re refuelling with protein to maximise any gains from your workouts.

• Luteal Phase (Autumn): During this phase, engaging in longer zone 1 exercises or frequent light movement (like 3min every 30min, instead of sitting at your desk all day) can promote glucose release from the cells, improving insulin sensitivity as estrogen levels drop. This is particularly important if you’re experiencing extra stress or fatigue. If you feel good to go, incorporate some resistance training, SIT, or a long walk in nature to reset yourself—just remember to refuel afterward.

If you’re unsure whether you’re truly tired or just a bit jaded, get up, put your workout clothes on, and head to the gym or the park. If you pass a coffee shop and decide to stop in, it might be a sign that today isn’t your day. Grab a coffee and head home to stretch or do some gentle yoga instead.

Tailoring your workouts to your cycle means focusing on the intensity and type of exercise based on how you feel and the hormonal shifts occurring in your body. Be sure to pair this with refulleing your body espeically if you are pushing your body. Also follow along with proriizing the foods below for each phase.  

If you find this too much information - then stick to whole foods. If you up your whole foods instead of buying foods or having quick go-tos that are not great, this simple action will be the best thing for your body. 

Food Priority for Each Phase

Nutrition plays a key role in supporting your cycle and aiding your recovery from training. I have clients who come to me thinking they are doing too much baed on what they have read... but it often turns out they just need to refuel better around their training.

Here’s a breakdown of optimal foods for each phase:

• Menstrual Phase:

  • Focus: Replenish & Nourish
  • Diet Type: Anti-inflammatory
  • Fuel Priority: Prioritise nutrient-dense foods with an emphasis on Omega-3 fatty acids.
  • Foods to Emphasise: Leafy greens, berries, fatty fish, and magnesium-rich foods.
  • Work to Decrease: Processed foods and excessive caffeine.

• Follicular Phase:

  • Focus: Support
  • Diet Type: Ketobiotic (unless you have low energy reserves; otherwise, add in whole grains/complex carbohydrates with lunch and breakfast).
  • Fuel Priority: Lower carbohydrates (only if feeling amazing) and higher healthy fats, emphasising gut-friendly foods.
  • Foods to Emphasise: Probiotics, polyphenols, and antioxidants.
  • Work to Decrease: Sugar—target cravings during this phase.

• Ovulatory Phase:

  • Focus: Balance
  • Diet Type: Paleo/Mediterranean/Flexitarian
  • Fuel Priority: Transition to more carbohydrates.
  • Foods to Emphasise: Cruciferous vegetables, high-fibre foods, and anti-inflammatory options.
  • Work to Decrease: Sugar.

• Luteal Phase:

  • Focus: Elimination
  • Diet Type: High protein with slow carbohydrates.
  • Fuel Priority: Higher protein intake with slow-releasing carbs to manage energy levels.
  • Foods to Emphasise: Cruciferous vegetables, bitter greens, and hydration.
  • Work to Eliminate: Alcohol and caffeine.

Again: If you find this too much information - then stick to whole foods. If you up your whole foods instead of buying foods or having quick go-tos that are not great, this simple action will be the best thing for your body. Investing a little bit of time with food, will pay you with extra energy. 

Want a guide to pin to your fridge to help job your memory? 

Click here for a free download of Eat with Your Cycle

Is This You? Tailoring Strategies Based on Your Experience

• Young and No Period: If you’re under 35 and experiencing irregular periods or no periods at all, treat your body as if you are in the luteal phase. Focus on nourishing yourself with complex carbohydrates, avoid fasted workouts, and prioritize gentle, restorative exercises over intense training. If you need some intense training for your mental health, then keep it to 1-2 times a week, and focus heavily on refueling yourself before and after exercise.

• Perimenopause: For those in perimenopause, aim for resistance training 2-3 times a week to stimulate muscle. Opt for heavier-weight workouts during the follicular phase and focus on technique during the luteal phase. Fast only during the follicular and ovulatory phases when your energy is higher.   Perimenopuase decreases our resilience to the stressor's - so make sure that your nourishing yourself with food and sleep first, use movement to get out in nature to decrease stress - then and only then use more intense exercise.