Mastering your menstrual cycle

What’s the one thing that will help you manage your mental health, navigate your work/life balance more easily, and transform your training? Understanding your cycle, that’s what

Words Alex Parren

You may not realise it, but your menstrual cycle has a huge effect on your daily life. Fluctuating hormones and their related symptoms could mean the diff erence between a happy productive day and a new 5K PB, or a day full of brain fog and everything feeling much harder than usual. Understanding your menstrual cycle and the effect it has on your emotions, your training ability, and your nutrition, can be a huge asset not only for running performance but for everyday happiness as well.

The better you understand what you’re feeling and why, the better you can maximise your training, predict how you’re going to be feeling on certain days, and design a training and racing plan that works for you. We’re going to take a look at each phase of the cycle and how it impacts on training, nutrition, emotion, and how you can take control of your menstrual cycle to be the best and happiest runner you can be.

During our cycle, hormones rise and fall… these hormones affect thermoregulation, bone health, appetite, serotonin levels in our brains, and much more

Understanding the menstrual cycle

The most important thing to remember is that every woman is different and will experience different symptoms throughout her cycle as well as having varying cycle lengths. There is no right or wrong answer and if your cycle isn’t ‘regular’, it’s usually nothing to worry about.

Faye Townsend is a Registered Associate Nutritionist at the Rhitrition Clinic in Harley Street. She says, “The average cycle lasts around 28 days; although this will vary from person to person and doesn’t always run like clockwork. You can view your menstrual cycle in two main parts: The Follicular Phase (day 1-14) and The Luteal Phase (day 15-28), with ovulation happening in the middle, around day 14.”

Suzie Richards is a triathlon coach and founder of trainlikeafemale.com. She adds, “During our cycle, hormones rise and fall, the two main hormones being oestrogen and progesterone.

“These hormones affect thermoregulation, bone health, appetite, serotonin levels in our brain, and much more. When we understand how and why oestrogen and progesterone are fluctuating in our bodies, it enables us to understand why we feel the way we feel at that moment in time and empowers us to take control of our body and mind.”