The Menstrual Cycle and Exercise Performance. The TRUTH About Cycling Syncing Workouts

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The menstrual cycle and exercise performance, are cycle syncing workouts legit?
Although hormones and biological processes fluctuate over the course of the menstrual cycle, and there is some evidence that you can manipulate your training to get better results (like follicular phase-based training vs luteal phase-based training), the research is VERY sparse and VERY limited.
Although it makes sense that training more at certain times to coincide with hormonal fluctuates (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone) could make a difference, the conclusions are far from certain.
One major reason for this is how different women can be. Not everyone has the same menstrual cycle duration, the same menstrual cycle symptoms, and the same menstrual cycle hormone fluctuations.
On top of that, menstrual cycle changes like hormone fluctuations are not always reliable indicators of changes to exercise performance.
Basically, anyone who gives you ALL very definitive programmes for you ALL to follow, is talking nonsense. The research just isn't there yet.
It makes sense to listen to your body and change your training accordingly. If you notice you feel better during certain phases of your cycle and you can train harder, absolutely feel free to lean into that.
There are no hard and fast rules that ALL women should adhere to, and the idea that you all have to avoid intense exercise for half of each month is disempowering, as many people can keep up their regular exercise performance without significant deterioration.
Listen to your body, not blanket recommendations someone else is making for your body.
References:
- Sex Bias in Cohorts Included in Sports Medicine Research
- Sport, exercise and the menstrual cycle: where is the research?
- Where are all the female participants in Sports and Exercise Medicine research?
- The Challenge of Applying and Undertaking Research in Female Sport
- Nutrition for female athletes: What we know, what we don't know, and why
- “Invisible Sportswomen”: The Sex Data Gap in Sport and Exercise Science Research
- Auditing the Representation of Female Versus Male Athletes in Sports Science and Sports Medicine Research: Evidence-Based Performance Supplements
- Food Timing, Circadian Rhythm and Chrononutrition: A Systematic Review of Time-Restricted Eating’s Effects on Human Health
- Menstrual cycle rhythmicity: metabolic patterns in healthy women
- Effects of Menstrual Phase-Dependent Resistance Training Frequency on Muscular Hypertrophy and Strength
- Frequency Variations of Strength Training Sessions Triggered by the Phases of the Menstrual Cycle
- Effects of follicular versus luteal phase-based strength training in young women
- Effects on power, strength and lean body mass of menstrual/oral contraceptive cycle based resistance training
- The Impact of Menstrual Cycle Phase on Athletes’ Performance: A Narrative Review
- Effect of Estrogen on Musculoskeletal Performance and Injury Risk
- Muscle Performance during the Menstrual Cycle Correlates with Psychological Well-Being, but Not Fluctuations in Sex Hormones
- 'That time of the month' … for the biggest event of your career! Perception of menstrual cycle on performance of Australian athletes training for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games
- The Prevalence and Impact of Heavy Menstrual Bleeding (Menorrhagia) in Elite and Non-Elite Athletes
- Prevalence and frequency of menstrual cycle symptoms are associated with availability to train and compete: a study of 6812 exercising women recruited using the Strava exercise app
- How the menstrual cycle and menstruation affect sporting performance: experiences and perceptions of elite female rugby players
- Pre menstrual syndrome
- The Effect of the Menstrual Cycle and Oral Contraceptives on Acute Responses and Chronic Adaptations to Resistance Training: A Systematic Review of the Literature
- The Effects of Menstrual Cycle Phase on Exercise Performance in Eumenorrheic Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
- The Effects of Menstrual Cycle Phase on Elite Athlete Performance: A Critical and Systematic Review
- Variations in strength-related measures during the menstrual cycle in eumenorrheic women: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

[@samanthapearson9558]

Great video! I would love to see a video on whether there is any study on craving and appetite around menstrual cycle. It's a real struggle around this time.

[@jaska6654]

Hi Ben, I love your no bullshit content and admire your commitment to doing the right thing. It's lovely to see a person who sticks to their values and profits from life experience to help others. I'm just ordering your book!

[@JaKaiMS]

Long time lurker but I rarely comment. This one I just had to though. I love all the topics you cover and seem to cover without a bias. This one is something I've been big into for years now just from seeing my energy levels and cycles and it really does help a lot knowing an estimate of where your period and ovulation are at and really focusing on your training in waves to match it.

[@janani-9185]

Incredibly helpful - thank you for the well thought out, well put together videos!

[@samjohnson8154]

I'm a 36-year-old woman, and i strength train 5 days a week. I have a normal to light cycle, but I found that I can only lift about half of my normal weight during my period. For example, I usually shoulder press with 25 lb dumbbells. But during my cycle I struggle with 10 lb. So I make up for it by doing higher reps with less weight during that time. There's definitely a difference!

[@ataylor1089]

Thank you for explaining this Ben! Is fantastic information all women should know about

[@amandaclark2873]

Great video. I once took a proper lifting course and I remember being shocked that the instructor (a male) addressed this topic. He discussed the importance of listening to your specific body and experience and to be mindful of estrogen's tendency to lax tendons and ligaments in the follicular phase.

[@anir8023]

Lifting if most unnatural exercise . Never made sense to me . Why ? Jus go out and walk