Menstruation is called a cycle for a reason. It’s not a 5- to 7-day period; it’s a 24-hour, 7-days-a-week, 365-days-a-year cycle. Menstruation’s significant role in health and performance should thus not be taken for granted.
Having an in-depth knowledge of the highs and lows of your menstrual cycle is a big advantage when it comes to training and performance. I’m sure many women can testify to the impact their cycle can have on their wellbeing.
Why should you track your menstrual cycle?
Tracking changes in your mood, motivation, energy and power along with other symptoms can ensure you work with your physiology as a woman and not against it. Due to hormonal fluctuations, tracking allows you to better understand and adapt your nutrition and hydration needs as well as your training to suit your physiological changes.
For example, an increase in protein for recovery is recommended which may help offset increased protein catabolism during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle (1, 2). Another example is that a woman’s ability to metabolise carbohydrates may also be lowered during this time, which suggests a less efficient oxidation of carbohydrates as a fuel source (2). This can impact the intensity of training. In order to work with this change, lower intensity endurance sessions may be most optimal at this time to help you still get the most out of your training. However, this is highly individual.
By knowing where you are in your cycle, you can optimise your nutritional support and adjust your training to maximise your training adaptations and minimise any debilitating symptoms and risk of illness and injury that occur with your cycle. Knowing when to prioritise recovery to reduce risk is possible when tracking your cycle.
Tracking your cycle can also help minimise stress. By knowing what to expect at the different phases of your cycle, you have a better understanding of when to identify irregularities.
What are you tracking?
There are multiple points to consider when tracking your cycle. The following will help you cover all the necessary information:
Your period:
- When different phases of your cycle, such as ovulation, occur
- When your period starts and ends
- Period flow and colour
Physiological changes:
- Appetite
- Basal body temperature
- Heart rate
- Changes in cervical fluid
- Energy
Symptoms:
- When symptoms around and during your period start and end (e.g. cramps, lower back pain, leg pain and breast tenderness)
- Daily emotional changes (e.g. mood and motivation)
- Daily sleep quality
- Performance abilities
- Recovery response to strategies
Ways to track
There are several methods to help you track your cycle. These include jotting it down in a notebook or on a day calendar, using a digital calendar either on your phone and laptop, or various apps (e.g. Wild.AI, Clue app or FitrWoman). Although the method you decide to use is a personal preference, choose one that will ensure you are reminded to track on a daily basis.
These days using an app can be more helpful, as they can automatically generate accurate averages from the information you provide over the months in visual graphs. This is extremely helpful to know what is and is not working in your favour.
How long should I track for?
To get a more accurate average of your information, female athletes and fitness enthusiasts are encouraged to track their cycle for at least three months. The length of time you track for will depend on your reasons and goals for tracking, such as correcting menstrual irregularities, reducing premenstrual symptoms or helping to optimise performance through your cycle.
Remember that research about the menstrual cycle and its impact on a woman’s performance is still in its infancy. Therefore, it’s important to be critical of what is shown and recommended through social media and other platforms. This does not diminish the importance or usefulness of what tracking an athlete’s cycle can mean for their overall wellbeing and health. Having an in-depth knowledge of an athlete’s wellbeing throughout the month is a great tool and can potentially explain certain increases or decreases in performance.
To find out more about Michelle:
Website: www.mreednutrition.com
Instagram: @mreednutrition
Facebook: Michelle Reed Nutrition
References:
- Rehrer NJ, McLay-Cooke RT & Sims ST (2017). Nutritional Strategies and Sex Hormone Interactions in Women. Sex Hormones, Exercise and Women. Springer; A.C. Hackney.
- Wohglemuth KJ, et al (2021). Sex differences and considerations for female specific nutritional strategies. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 18(1):27
