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Have you ever considered planning your workouts around your period? If you experience a menstrual cycle, you might be used to the monthly dips in energy and mood that often occur. Your cycle may even interfere with your workout plans for the week.
This is where cycle syncing enters the chat. Cycle syncing involves aligning your fitness practices and health routines with the phases of your menstrual cycle, aiming to optimize comfort, well-being, and even fitness outcomes. But does it actually work? Today, we’ll delve into what cycle syncing entails and how it might work for you. Additionally, we’ve teamed up with Allison Campbell, biomedical physiology and kinesiology PhD candidate at Simon Fraser University (SFU) who studies the interaction between exercise and the menstrual cycle, to answer some questions about this phenomenon.
What is Cycle Syncing?
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Cycle syncing has a broad range of interpretations, but put simply, it involves tailoring your exercise to the current phase of your menstrual cycle.¹ According to Forbes, this concept was first introduced by Alisa Vitti, a nutritionist and hormone expert, in her debut book ‘Woman Code’ published in 2014.² However, the term gained increasing popularity in 2021, with fitness influencers and professional athletes promoting the concept, especially across TikTok, where the hashtag #CycleSyncing has more than 294 million views.³ This was even one of the many techniques employed by the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team before they won the World Cup in 2019.³ Unfortunately, while the mainstream media quickly embraced the strategy, experts in the field are less certain about its validity.
Does it really work?
We asked Allison Campbell a couple of questions about how menstruation can impact physical activity. Campbell is currently completing a PhD at SFU under the supervision of Drs. Anita Cote and Victoria Claydon. Campbell specifically studies the performance of female athletes in various hormonal profiles, including changes during puberty, throughout the menstrual cycle, and with hormonal contraceptive usage. Here’s what she had to say:
Q: Generally, how does the menstrual cycle influence a person’s energy levels and physical activity performance?
A: This is a tough question as it varies widely depending on the person! Some people find symptoms during or leading up to their periods quite debilitating. Others may not even notice their period is coming with limited or no symptoms. If you are someone who gets cramps, migraines, or back pain during or before your period, you may find workouts more challenging and need to take things easier.
Q: Can you describe the phases of the menstrual cycle? What types of activities might be supportive for each phase?
A: Generally, we can divide the menstrual cycle into two phases: the follicular phase and the luteal phase.
The follicular phase: This phase starts with menstruation (your period) and is characterized by low estrogen and progesterone in the early half of the phase, and rising estrogen leading up to ovulation at the end of the phase. This phase is responsible for the maturation of an ovum, and preparing the lining of the uterus for a potential implantation.
The luteal phase: This phase is from ovulation until the onset of the next period. It is characterized by increasing progesterone and moderate estrogen levels. You can think of this phase as the maintenance of the uterine lining and the body waiting for a potential fertilized egg (the one that was released from the ovary during ovulation!). Once the body realizes no fertilized egg is coming, progesterone and estrogen levels fall, which can often be associated with Pre-Menstrual Syndrome (PMS).
Q: What are some common misconceptions about menstruation and physical activity that you have encountered in your practice?
A: As you may have noticed, there are influencers and coaches all over social media who are sharing the supposed benefits of changing your physical activities depending on the phase of your cycle. Unfortunately, there is not enough evidence in the literature to support these sorts of recommendations, so be wary, especially when someone is trying to sell you something!
Q: Do you believe cycle syncing is effective in general?
A: I think that being aware of your body and how you are feeling and adjusting your workouts accordingly is an important part of staying active. Whether it’s in response to injuries, illness, or menstrual cycle symptoms, it’s important to take note of what your body is telling you. However, we don’t currently have the science to support any phase-based recommendations when it comes to exercise training. Generally, the best exercise is the one you actually do, so find something that works for you no matter what the phase of your cycle is!
So, what does this mean for you?
As reflected in Campbell’s research, hormones associated with menstruation are incredibly individual and differ from person to person. If your weekly routine works for you, then stick with it! There is certainly not enough scientific literature to suggest you should change your routine to optimize outcomes. Exercise physiology researchers are still working to build equity in a field of study that has predominantly focused on male study groups.⁴ That said, if you experience discomfort associated with PMS or menstruation, you may consider gentler, lower-impact activities during these weeks! Overall, the most important thing is to listen to your individual body and find the strategies that work for you!
References:
- Dorwart L. Everything you need to know about how to eat and exercise during your menstrual cycle. Health. https://www.health.com/cycle-syncing-7500732. Published May 30, 2023. Accessed April 14, 2024.
- Laurence E. Cycle Syncing: Everything You Need To Know. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/health/womens-health/cycle-syncing/. Published February 6, 2024. Accessed April 14, 2024.
- Gupta AH. Can Cycle Syncing Benefit Your Workout? What Experts Say. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/01/well/move/menstrual-cycle-syncing-exercise.html. Published June 1, 2023. Accessed April 14, 2024.
- Cowley ES, Olenick AA, McNulty KL, Ross EZ. “Invisible Sportswomen”: The Sex Data Gap in Sport and Exercise Science Research. Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal. 2021;29(2):146-151. doi:10.1123/wspaj.2021-0028