Aunt Flo can bring the best of us to our knees, making us feel achy, sad, tired or unmotivated. But what if you could learn to manage the tumultuous hormones and enhance your energy, mood and overall health? Cycle syncing is a biohacking option that utilises a deeper knowledge of your menstrual cycle to enhance your health and feelings of well-being.
The lifestyle changes recommended in this regard can help us be more in tune with our bodies and attain a more balanced lifestyle with fewer mood swings, greater energy levels and better sleep. There are several ways to sync your life to your cycle, including watching what exercise corresponds to which stage of the cycle and nutrition.
Highlights
- Psychiatrist Alexander Lapa of Asana Lodge defines an infradian rhythm as a bodily cycle that exceeds the daily cycle, also called the circadian rhythm. The menstrual cycle can be defined as an infradian rhythm, although the seasonal affective disorder can also be considered infradian. This rhythm plays a vital role in your overall health and well-being,
- Cycle syncing is especially beneficial for women who are struggling with polycystic ovary syndrome or PCOS, trying to conceive, struggling with symptoms like bloating, cramping, anxiety and weight gain during their period, or experiencing low libido or painful, heavy or irregular periods,
- By leveraging the hormonal benefits of each stage of the menstrual cycle, you can modify your exercise routine, diet and sleep patterns to suit your energy levels better.
What is cycle syncing?
We all know how crazy things get for us women during that time of the month. Sometimes it feels like you’re just a slave to your fluctuating hormones—feeling woeful, happy, hangry or even lustful, all in a matter of minutes. According to a study published in the Archives of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, hormone fluctuations throughout the month play a critical role in the body’s responses.
They affect thought processes, emotional status, appetite, and so much more. Women reported higher levels of well-being and self-esteem in the middle of the cycle and increased feelings of anxiety, hostility and depression before the time of the period. Psychiatrist Alexander Lapa of Asana Lodge defines an infradian rhythm as a bodily cycle that exceeds the daily cycle, also called the circadian rhythm.
The menstrual cycle can be defined as an infradian rhythm, although the seasonal affective disorder can also be considered infradian. This rhythm plays a vital role in your overall health and well-being. It can also be considered a timekeeper for your body and includes six different bodily systems: metabolism, immune system, brain, microbiome, reproductive system and the stress response system.
Cycle syncing is a term coined by functional nutritionist Alisa Vitti in her book WomanCode. It refers to adapting your diet, exercise regimen, social obligations and even professional engagements to the different phases of your menstrual cycle. This means that you are giving your body some much-needed support instead of pushing it to perform all the time.
People with female physiology can look and feel their best when they adapt their nutrition, diet and sleep according to what supports their infradian rhythm. According to Vitti, once women learn to understand the monthly hormonal shifts, they can maximise their power and avoid becoming casualties to them. Cycle syncing is especially beneficial for women who are
- Struggling with polycystic ovary syndrome or PCOS, a hormonal disorder that can potentially affect your fertility
- Trying to conceive
- Struggling with symptoms like bloating, cramping, anxiety and weight gain during their period
- Experiencing low libido
- Experiencing painful, heavy or irregular periods
Understanding how the infradian rhythm works can help you understand how the body changes physically and mentally during these stages and adapt to the monthly flow of your bodily cycle since the various hormones released throughout the menstrual cycle create the infradian rhythm.
The menstrual cycle has four main phases, which are brought about by the varying levels of hormones in the body
- Menstrual phase: Days 1–5 (menstruation)
- Follicular phase: Days 6–14 (before egg release)
- Ovulatory phase: Days 15–17 (the process of release of the egg)
- Luteal phase: Days 18–28 (after egg release)
Disruptions to the infradian rhythm can lead to disruptions in the menstrual cycle, sleep patterns and fertility and the body’s ability to fight infections. A study found that metabolism peaks during the luteal phase, which makes up a third of the cycle. During this period, the appetite increases, and women eat and burn more calories.
These changes to the body’s resting metabolic rate are linked to energy levels and how you feel when you exercise. Scheduling workouts according to the infradian rhythm can help you maintain steady energy levels. Fluctuations in the menstrual cycle also affect sleep. According to this study, many women report poorer sleep quality during the luteal phase and during menstruation.
Some women also reported having experienced reduced rapid eye movement (or REM), which is the dreaming phase of sleep. One study shows that insomnia is twice as likely in women who experience severe premenstrual syndrome (PMS), while another proves that women with higher levels of progesterone at the end of their cycle experience increasing levels of disturbances in their sleep.
Taking the downtime to relax and wind down during the luteal and menstruation phase would help with better sleep. While there’s more scientific research needed in the area of cycle syncing to determine better evidence-based results, long-time advocates swear by the method and its transformative effect on their lives.
Katinka Locascio, founder of New York-based Earth & Sky Healing Arts, a wellness centre focusing on women’s health and natural fertility, says that cycle syncing is about reteaching people to be in their bodies and accepting that women are cyclical in nature and that there’s real power in harnessing that.
How can you align your training with your menstrual cycle?
By leveraging the hormonal benefits of each stage of the menstrual cycle, you can modify your exercise routine, diet and sleep patterns to suit your energy levels better.
Menstrual phase (Days 1–5, menstruation)
During this phase, the body’s progesterone and estrogen levels begin to drop, which causes the uterus to shed its built-up lining. During this time, it’s natural for the mood to drop, and an instinct to be introverted kicks in. There’s higher delta-brainwave activity during this time, which can increase the desire to rest and rejuvenate.
Journaling or creating vision boards is also recommended since the lobes of the brain are highly engaged. It’s recommended to consume warm and nourishing foods like soups, stews, lightly cooked dark leafy greens, iron-rich foods and grass-fed meat. Iron and B-vitamin-rich foods help with supporting blood loss and energy.
Healthy fats, such as salmon and krill oil, also help reduce common PMS symptoms like tender breasts, bloating and depression. Self-care and pampering such as napping and massages and gentle exercise methods involving yoga, pilates and walking are recommended during this phase. A higher-intensity workout that can stress uterine ligaments should be saved for later in the cycle as one is more sensitive to pain during this phase.
Follicular phase (Days 6–14, before egg release)
During this phase, the hormone levels rise since the brain’s pituitary gland releases follicle-stimulating hormones. Your energy levels and mental alertness also increases. The brain is sharp and ready to problem-solve. It’s recommended to consume protein and vegetables during this period to keep estrogen levels in check.
Foods rich in vitamin E, like sweet potatoes and leafy greens, nourish the growing follicles. Heavy weight-lifting and other challenging exercises like high-intensity interval training (HIIT) feel revitalizing.
Ovulatory phase (Days 15–17, the process of release of the egg)
During this phase, a woman is fertile, which can be noticed through a change in vaginal discharge. It becomes clear and stretchy, caused by rising estrogen levels. Testosterone also increases, increasing your libido. The beta brainwave activity is high during this period, enhancing learning and alertness.
This is a time when one can have difficult conversations and start new projects. Eating cruciferous vegetables like bok choy, broccoli and cauliflower can help flush out toxins, while magnesium-rich foods like dark chocolate and spinach help balance estrogen and progesterone levels. High-impact workouts like spinning, cycling and dancing are recommended as well as group activities.
Luteal phase (Days 18–28, after egg release)
Progesterone and estrogen peak during this time since the fertilized egg travels through the fallopian tube to attach to the uterus, where it will implant in the uterine lining. These hormones help the uterine lining thicken to prepare for implantation. When the egg isn’t fertilised, the uterus sheds its lining, signalling the start of your period. At this time, the body wants to nest. Spending time at home will feel good.
Earthy, grounding foods like soups and root vegetables are recommended to be eaten along with blackberries, raspberries, strawberries and blueberries, which are rich in bioflavonoids and vitamin C. This supports healthy progesterone production, curbs cravings and facilitates estrogen elimination without spiking blood sugar.
Foods like kale, carrots and broccoli are important to keep neurotransmitters balanced and keep PMS symptoms under control. Restorative exercises like yoga and stretching are recommended to keep your energy levels stable while also helping to reduce bloating. The womb doubles in weight and size by the end of the cycle, so keeping that in mind while choosing an exercise is recommended.
Conclusion
Women can use their menstrual cycles to learn how to tune into their infradian rhythms, resulting in an overall better quality of life. As your hormones fluctuate, so do your energy and mood, which can directly add to how the body approaches fitness. It’s beneficial to switch up your workouts according to the stage of your menstrual cycle and not focus on “pushing it” every time.
In the menstrual phase, which starts with the first day of the period, it’s recommended to rest up, do very low-impact workouts like gentle stretching and yoga and eat warm, soupy foods. In the follicular phase, the stage after your period ends, there’s clarity, mental sharpness and heavy weight-lifting and HIIT exercises are recommended.
Foods that are rich in vitamin E are recommended. In the ovulatory phase, the body prepares for fertility. High-impact workouts such as cycling, dancing, etc., are recommended. The hormones peak in the luteal phase and restorative exercises like stretching and gentle yoga are recommended. It helps keep energy levels steady and helps reduce bloating.
Disclaimer: The contents of this article are for general information and educational purposes only. It neither provides any medical advice nor intends to substitute professional medical opinion on the treatment, diagnosis, prevention or alleviation of any disease, disorder or disability. Always consult with your doctor or qualified healthcare professional about your health condition and/or concerns and before undertaking a new healthcare regimen including making any dietary or lifestyle changes.
References
- Cycle Syncing: How to Hack Your Menstrual Cycle to Do Everything Better
- Cognitive, sensory, and emotional changes associated with the menstrual cycle
- Menstrual cycle and basal metabolic rate in women
- Menstrual Cycle Effects on Sleep
- Objective Sleep Interruption and Reproductive Hormone Dynamics in the Menstrual Cycle
