Strength Training During the Menstrual Cycle

You probably recognize this: for weeks you’re unstoppable, you have energy for 10, lots of strength during your workouts, and you’re on a roll with a healthy diet, and then suddenly you have a week where you can’t move forward, you have cravings, you’re tired, and your workouts are harder than last week. This is probably related to your menstrual cycle. Your hormones and menstruation significantly influence your athletic performance. In the blog post below, we’ll explain what your cycle looks like and how you can best adapt your training and nutrition to your cycle.

The four phases of the menstrual cycle during strength training

Your menstrual cycle consists of four different phases, which are also named after the four seasons. In each phase, your body has different needs, which you can adjust your diet and exercise to. A menstrual cycle lasts an average of 28 days. Everyone has a unique cycle, so you may be a few days above or below this. A “normal” cycle falls between 21 and 35 days.

Phase 1: Menstrual Phase – Winter (Day 1-5)

Your new menstrual cycle begins on the first day of your period and lasts an average of 1 to 7 days. From this stage onward, hormone levels slowly rise again. During the menstrual phase, the body experiences (heavy) bleeding and sometimes painful cramps. In addition, the body may feel heavy and tired.

Strength training in this phase

Light-intensity strength training, yoga, or walking can relieve pain and reduce stress in the body. Heat, such as a hot water bottle or a warm bath/shower, also helps. This increases blood circulation, which can reduce pain.

Why?
Your body is busy recovering and needs more energy for other processes. This is a good time to work on your technique, do mobility exercises, and train gently without pushing yourself to the limit.

Power supply

During this phase, iron-rich foods are important due to the blood loss. These are primarily foods like red meat, beans, lentils, and green leafy vegetables. Make sure you eat nutritious, warm meals during your menstrual period. Warm meals will help reduce cramps and are easier for your body to digest. A cold meal like a bowl of yogurt or a salad requires a lot of energy to digest during menstruation, and your body is already working hard during menstruation.

Phase 3 Ovulation Phase – Summer (Day 12-17)

The ovulation phase begins after the follicular period, often between day 12 and day 17. During this phase, your body experiences a peak in estrogen. This results in increased energy, better and faster recovery, and a greater desire for social activities.

Strength training in this phase

During your ovulation is the perfect time to challenge yourself to heavier strength training or a HIIT workout.

Why?
This is the ideal phase for heavy strength training, as your strength and explosiveness are at their peak. But be careful: your joints may be slightly more vulnerable due to the influence of estrogen, so be sure to warm up properly and do stability exercises.

Power supply

Due to the estrogen surge, you may experience a decreased appetite. However, make sure you eat enough protein-rich foods to support repair and rebuilding. Also, choose foods rich in fiber, plenty of B vitamins, and omega-3s. These include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, eggs, oily fish, and chia seeds.

Phase 4 Luteal Phase – Fall (Day 18-28) Strength Training During the Menstrual Cycle

The luteal phase begins after ovulation. This phase lasts until your period and lasts an average of 14 days. During the luteal phase, progesterone levels increase. Progesterone is a sex hormone produced during the luteal phase and plays a dominant role in the last two phases of the menstrual cycle. Along with estrogen (which plays a dominant role in the first two phases), this hormone regulates the menstrual cycle and is important for fertility. During this phase, you often experience less energy and increased fatigue. You may also experience breast tenderness, bloating, and/or emotional fluctuations. Your weight can also fluctuate during the luteal phase.

Strength training in this phase

Low intensity such as strength training with less weight or fewer repetitions, light cardio, walking or yoga

Why?
Progesterone affects your energy levels and muscle tone, making heavy strength training less effective. This is a good time for recovery workouts, core stability, and technique training.

Power supply

During the luteal phase, your appetite may increase. This is completely normal because your resting metabolism is higher than in other phases. Make sure you eat enough foods containing magnesium, vitamin B6, and calcium. A good balance of protein and healthy fats is also important. Products that fall under this category include nuts and seeds, green leafy vegetables, chicken, fish, eggs, and whole grains.

Why track your cycle for strength training?

These days, there are more and more ways to track your cycle. For example, there are apps that allow you to track your cycle. Besides tracking it in an app, you can also track your cycle using your basal body temperature. A device that makes this easy is Daysy. Daysy is a thermometer that allows you to measure your basal body temperature first thing in the morning after waking up. Daysy comes with a connected app for your mobile phone that gives you an overview of your temperature. You can also log any symptoms in the app. By measuring your temperature daily, you gain insight into which phase of your cycle you are.

Possible causes of disruption in a cycle

• Stress
• Malnutrition
• Underweight
• Excessive exercise
• Flu
• Vitamin D, C, magnesium, and/or zinc deficiencies
• Medication use

Conclusion:

Do you want to exercise and eat according to your menstrual cycle? Our experienced personal trainers can help you plan your workouts based on your needs and goals, taking your menstrual cycle into account. We’ll make the right adjustments to your workouts and provide nutritional advice based on your cycle for optimal results and an optimal menstrual cycle. What are you waiting for? Your journey starts today!