Women often ask me (yes, it’s usually a changing room post-CrossFit conversation!) how do I know when it is time to push and aim for my PB (Personal Best) and when it’s best to take smaller weights and perhaps focus on my technique. They ask me because I openly talk about it during the workouts. The reaction I get, which amuses me dearly, is a blend of raised eyebrows and sceptical intrigue into this mystical voodoo sounding disclosure. And since it’s still not a done thing to talk about our menstrual cycles in the open, a barrage of questions follow in the hush-hush and safety of the changing room.
And so, before I answer any questions, I first ask if they track their menstrual cycle. Most often I hear: ‘No. My period is so irregular, there’s no point tracking it’.
Well, I must admit, I used to think that way. But like with anything in life, you will never know where you are with things that you don’t measure. It feels irregular because you don’t measure it!
Once you start tracking your menstrual cycle, you’ll probably notice it’s not that irregular.
And if it is, then you certainly should not ignore it. (more on this another time)
Now, let’s debunk a couple of stereotypes first, what measuring your menstrual cycle is not necessarily about:
A. It’s NOT all about your fertility and only tracking it when you are trying to conceive (or avoid pregnancy!).
B. It’s NOT about just tracking your PERIOD. Trust me, there’s more to life (or your menstrual cycle) than your period. Well, it’s a good start to measure how often it comes and how long it lasts but that’s not the only thing that we want to get out of this whole self-care exercise. Women can hugely benefit from synchronising their exercise, nutrition, and sleep and matching it to the stages of their cycle.
1. First, menstrual cycle provides a barometer of health – the irregularity of your cycle is often a signal that your hormones are out of whack because there is a misstep in your health - not the other way round – this is an important but often confused narrative. The reproductive system is not on the top of the list of priorities for your body to maintain: your heart, brain, lungs etc. are. So in most instances when the body is not given adequate nutrition, exercise, sleep and rest – all the organs in your body have to work harder to keep you going. And thus there’s less energy and focus spent on the reproductive system to keep it going like a Swiss watch.
2. Enough with the blaming game – The fact that you have days when you feel sluggish or simply don't have the drive to face some parts of your life – it doesn’t mean that you are lazy. That’s the common patriarchal narrative. You are not lazy. You are simply not linear because guess what? You are not a man. In the past I would often blame myself for not always performing my best, for being so erratic, so irregular, so not on par with everyone else.
Understanding my menstrual cycle and its phases gave me the insight into why sometimes I’m full on and why sometimes my battery is flat. I stopped apologising for it. I just plan my life better.
3. Reduction in menstrual pain: knowing when your period is coming you can take preventative steps a few days in advance to reduce inflammation and subsequently the pain of cramping.
4. Better sleep: post-ovulation, when progesterone is peaking (the luteal phase) there is an increase of core body temperature (as progesterone has a direct effect on metabolism). If you are someone who finds it difficult to fall asleep in general, taking exceptional care of your sleep hygiene during this phase is a must. As we know melatonin induces sleepiness via declining the core body temperature.
Now, if progesterone ‘competes’ with that by elevating the core body temperature during the second phase of your cycle, you know what to do. Simple acts of keeping the room temperature cooler than usual, having a cold shower, or dipping your feet in a bucket of cold water before bedtime might mitigate the lack of sleepiness.
5. Manage your metabolism (via adjusting your protein & carbohydrate intake): again, if ovulation occurred (the best way to measure it is to track your Basal Body Temperature (BBT) if it is rising in the second phase of your cycle you know you’ve ovulated) and progesterone is peaking, this is the time to pay a little bit more attention to your diet. Progesterone has a catabolic effect (breakdown of muscle mass) which means it might be helpful to increase your protein intake during that phase. Also, since progesterone tends to favour the use of glucose as a short-term fuel, rather than supporting storage in muscles in the form of glycogen, it might be beneficial spreading out your carbohydrate intake and maintaining consistent blood sugar levels [1] by choosing the right source of wholesome carbohydrates.
6. Make the most of your workout: estrogen dominates the first (follicular) phase of your cycle. They call estrogen ‘The Beyonce Hormone’ for a reason. You are more daring, outgoing, creative, and wild. Looking at the female sport physiology, estrogen facilitates the efficient use of glucose and the storage of carbohydrate in the form of glycogen in the fast-
twitch muscles, making it easily available for usage. This can literally make you stronger and help with strength work, like weightlifting. But estrogen also favours the use of fat fuel source, which in theory could be helpful if you wanted to run a marathon. Fat is a very energy-dense fuel source so it might be helpful with endurance sports.
7. More efficient use of your time and energy: by planning your workload accordingly. Perhaps choosing to schedule business meetings, social events, presentations, and creative thinking during the time leading to your ovulation. On the other hand, perhaps planning the more mundane parts of your project during the second phase of your cycle where you are not feeling giddy, saying yes to everything, literally being ‘high’ on estrogen and thus being less distracted and better equipped to make decision. Obviously, every woman is different so this might not be your pattern, so make sure to track not only your period but also the fluctuations of your mood and energy during the whole cycle.
8. Increased self-awareness and control of your own well-being: by tuning into your physical and emotional experiences throughout your cycle, you can learn more about your own needs, desires, and boundaries.
As Jane Fonda beautifully put it: It took me a long time to learn that ‘No’ is a full sentence.
9. Less bumpy road when transitioning into perimenopause: getting to know yourself and the cyclical fluctuations of our female physiology will allow you to spot the ‘altered’ changes corresponding with perimenopause. A Wise Woman who has been tracking her health for years, can tell that a big change is coming; empowered, informed and ready, without the uncertainty of ‘what’s going on?’.
Finally, self-care is the practice of taking an active role in protecting one’s own well-being. We must not jump on the bandwagon of calling ‘self-care’ this and ‘self-care’ that. We must be able to discern the difference between ‘taking a hot bath with a scented candle’[2] and in an active way consistently getting to know ourselves, our female physiology AND acting on it accordingly.
The word ‘to act’ is crucial here. Taking time to track and to understand the phases of your menstrual cycle and subsequently how to look after yourself is fundamental.
To have the wisdom to know when to go out and push and party, and when to take that hot bath and light a candle.
What do you think? Do you track your menstrual cycle and if not, why not?
Would you like to share your experience in comments below?
[1] Hormones Health and Human Potential, Dr Nicky Keay
Comments