As coaches, we’re often asked whether women should adjust their training based on the phase of their menstrual cycle.
Should you lower the intensity or skip the gym because your period is approaching or has just begun? There's a lot of information out there about “cycle syncing” workouts, and in our experience, following blanket recommendations holds women back in more ways than one. Women have won Olympic medals, put up some crazy numbers in the gym, run marathons etc. at all phases of their cycles. We don’t like perpetuating a narrative of delicate physiology at Fortify Health Coaching, and feel cycle syncing advice on social media can veer in that direction.
It’s important to clarify what the evidence really says, and learn to work with your body and unique physiology.
And, if your training or recovery is significantly impacted by your cycle, or you are experiencing debilitating PMS, unpredictable periods, prolonged bleeding, can’t focus or sleep at certain times of the month, inhibiting fitness goals, we would encourage you to to NOT settle and dig deeper to ask why your hormonal health may be impacting your quality of life.
The Basics: Understanding Your Unique Physiology
Every woman’s body is unique, and every cycle can vary from month to month
The first step in making informed decisions about training is to track your cycle and understand how your body responds during different phases.
While hormones like estrogen and progesterone fluctuate, these changes don’t necessarily mean a complete overhaul of your workout plan is needed. The key is learning how your body reacts and developing the ability to auto-regulate based on how you feel each day.
Some women feel great throughout their cycle, while others experience changes in energy, strength, and motivation. The latter may be due to something as straightforward as going through a stressful season of life that is impacting ovulation (and thus hormone levels and subjective biofeedback ) or something more serious such as underlying subclinical hypothyroidism .
What Does the Research Say?
Currently, the research does not support adjusting resistance training based on menstrual cycle phases for most women. While some women report slight variations, overall strength and power performance remains largely unaffected by menstrual cycle phase and any variations throughout the menstrual cycle are small and inconsistent.
Recent research shows that the menstrual cycle phase has little to no impact on strength performance or adaptations to resistance training. Studies have found that whether a woman is in the follicular or luteal phase, there is minimal difference in metrics like maximal strength, power, or endurance during acute training sessions. Additionally, the long-term benefits of resistance training, such as muscle growth and strength gains, do not appear to change based on the phase of the menstrual cycle. This suggests that focusing on an individualized approach—one that takes into account how a woman feels in each phase—is more effective than trying to structure training around hormonal fluctuations.
Essentially, there’s no strong reason to program training around the menstrual cycle unless there are significant changes in performance or recovery in the individual athlete.
Hormonal Factors We Keep In Mind
This isn't to say hormones don't matter. Estrogen plays a key role in neuromuscular adaptations, helping to improve muscle function. During the follicular phase (the time between the start of your period and ovulation), estrogen levels rise, which can lead to feelings of increased strength and energy for some women.
On the flip side, Estrogen deficiency (which can occur during the luteal phase or post-menopause) is associated with a decline in muscle strength. This is because estrogen helps preserve muscle mass and protect against muscle breakdown.
These effects are not universal and at fortify we would want to dive into why someone is estrogen deficient.
This is one example of how hormonal status could be impacting the cycle, however not a reason to “sync” one’s training to their cycle.
Neurotransmitters vs. Hormones: Another Piece of the Puzzle
Another things to consider It’s not just hormones that influence how you feel during your cycle— neurotransmitters also play a role.
During the menstrual cycle, fluctuations in neurotransmitters, especially serotonin and dopamine, can influence how a woman feels physically and emotionally, potentially impacting her training experience. Serotonin, which is involved in mood regulation, tends to be lower during the luteal phase when progesterone levels are high. This can lead to feelings of fatigue, irritability, and even depressive symptoms, making workouts feel more challenging. Women might experience reduced motivation or energy, and perceive a heavier training load as more difficult than usual during this phase.
Dopamine, which is linked to motivation and reward, can also fluctuate across the cycle. During the follicular phase, when estrogen is rising, dopamine activity increases, which may explain why many women feel more energized, motivated, and ready to tackle high-intensity workouts during this phase.
These neurotransmitter changes highlight why some women experience shifts in mood, energy levels, and overall motivation to train at different points in their cycle. Recognizing these patterns can help tailor training strategies that consider not just hormonal shifts, but also the complex role of brain chemistry.
We feel knowing this may be helpful when your period is approach in your luteal phase that going to the gym and hitting your training session can help increase some of these feel good chemicals by kicking butt in the gym!
Finally, how you think about your cycle and body matters. Do you go into the gym expecting to be weaker because it’s that time of the month? Is that fact or feeling? Perhaps questions worth exploring for yourself.
Auto-Regulating Based on Your Body
So, should you adjust your workouts based on your cycle? Our recommendation is to train with the volume and intensity needed to reach your goals, and listen to your body. If you feel strong, go for it! If you’re feeling off, consider dialing back the intensity or focusing more on recovery.
There are no "shoulds." And sometimes, if you aren’t feeling great heading into the gym you can pleasantly surprise yourself with an awesome workout once you get moving. The more you train, and the more you learn to work with your body, the easier it becomes to decipher between when you need to autoregulate, take a rest day or just get moving and see what you’re working with strength and energy wise that day.
Here are a few ways to auto-regulate your training:
- Lower the weight and focus on form. Slowing down your tempo or increasing time under tension can still provide a challenging workout if you can’t quite match logbook numbers from the previous week, or just aren’t feeling like your normal self in the gym.
- Adjust reps in reserve (RIR). If you normally train at a 0 or 1 RIR, instead train 2 or 3 RIR for the day(s). You Still will have an effective training session and be honoring how you’re feeling.
- Shorten your session.If you’re feeling low energy, completing half your workout is better than skipping it entirely. For example, if you normally have 3 working sets for an exercise, perhaps you do 1 or 2 at the normal intensity.
Some days, a total rest might be the best option, and that’s okay!! If your period is hitting you harder one month for whatever reason, an extra rest day can go a long way for the mind and body. It’s all about tuning in to what you need.
The Bottom Line: Learn Your Patterns
The best thing you can do is track your cycle and learn how your body responds at each phase. For some women, this might mean feeling stronger and more energized in the follicular phase, while others may not notice any significant changes. The only way to know for sure is to pay attention to your own patterns—rather than follow generic advice.
As with many things in the health and fitness space here’s no one-size-fits-all approach. The research is still evolving, and the most effective strategy is to auto-regulate based on how you feel each day. And if you need help to better understand your unique physiology or think your hormonal health may be holding you back - reach out. We are here to help through coaching and consultations.
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