Hormones, Hype, and Your Training

We examine the claims of cycle syncing and compare them to current research, then share a simple way to train and eat based on symptoms rather than a rigid calendar. Evidence, nuance, and practical tactics help you stay consistent without obsessing over phases.

• social media claims about cycle-synced training
• evidence from 2020 and 2023 reviews
• why studies conflict on menstrual phases
• small, inconsistent performance effects
• nutrition shifts and luteal-phase appetite
• symptom-led adjustments to intensity
• practical examples for high and low energy days
• four core takeaways and bottom line
• links to cited studies in the notes

Share it with another woman who's trying to figure out what actually works for her body
And don't forget to follow for more episodes where you're gonna get the real deal about hormones, mindsets, and healthy living from the inside out

• Colenso-Semple LM, D’Souza AC, Elliott-Sale KJ, et al. Current evidence shows no influence of women’s menstrual cycle phase on acute strength performance or adaptations to resistance exercise training. Front Sports Act Living. 2023.
• McNulty KL, Elliott-Sale KJ, Dolan E, et al. The Effects of Menstrual Cycle Phase on Exercise Performance in Eumenorrheic Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Sports Med. 2020.
• Elorduy-Terrado M, et al. The Influence of Menstrual Cycle Phases on Maximal Strength Performance: A Systematic Review. MDPI Sports. 2024.
• Rogan M-M, et al. Dietary Energy Intake Across the Menstrual Cycle: A Narrative Review. Nutrients. 2022.
• Ekenros L, et al. IMPACT Study Protocol: Menstrual Cycle-Based Periodized Training. Trials. 2024.

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Email Me: LorayneMichaels22@gmail.com

Chapters

• 0:00 Setting The Record Straight
• 0:14 Social Media Claims vs Reality
• 0:41 What The Research Actually Shows
• 4:57 Why The Studies Conflict
• 5:57 Nutrition Nuance Across The Cycle
• 6:43 Listen To Symptoms, Not Apps
• 7:24 Practical Intensity Adjustments
• 8:19 Four Core Takeaways
• 9:36 Resources, Share, And Follow

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:00

Welcome back. Hey friends, I'm so excited you're here. Um, it's Lorraine, and today we are talking about a topic that's everywhere right now. Cycle syncing your workouts. If you've scrolled through Instagram lately, you've probably seen people saying things like lift heavy in your follicular phase, rest during your luteal phase, only do cardio when estrogen peaks. And while all of that sounds empowering, the truth is the science doesn't quite line up with the way social media makes it seem. So today we are gonna break it down what research actually says about training through your menstrual cycle, what's the hype, how to use it to your body's signals and to guide your workouts without obsessing over your calendar app. So, the promise of cycle syncing. Let's start with what people say cycle syncing does. You'll hear that syncing your workouts to your menstrual cycle can help boost strength and endurance at specific times of the month, prevents injury, improves recovery, and it helps you biohack your hormones for better results. And that sounds amazing, right? But here's the deal: most of these claims come from a theory, not hard science. The idea makes sense on paper. Your hormones fluctuate, yes. So maybe your training should too. But when researchers actually test it, the results are underwhelming. So what the research actually shows, all right, let's look at what we do know. A major 2023 review in the Frontiers in Sports and Active Living analyzed dozens of studies and found no consistent evidence that training based on your menstrual cycle improves strength or performance. Another big one was in 2020, a systematic review in sports medicine. It looked at over 70 studies and concluded that performance differences across menstrual phases were trivial at best. So basically, some women might feel a bit off during their period, others might feel completely normal, some may lift more weight during their ovulation, and others notice no change at all. On average, it evens out. Researchers like Dr. Christy Elliott Sale, um, one of the leading experts in female psychology, as she says it clearly. Many studies rely on women guessing what phase they're in. Like day 14 must be ovulation, but we know all cycles are different and they're not exactly the same. Some are at 26 days, some 35, some skip ovulation altogether. Personally, mine is all over the place. So that means tons of phase-based studies are misclassifying participants and small sample sizes, poor control over things like stress, nutrition, sleep. It's easy to see why the results are all over the place. Again, on paper, even said bluntly, if we can't accurately measure hormones, how can we base training on them? So the problem isn't that hormones don't matter, it's that we just can't standardize them across all women. So, where nutrition might make sense. Now, here's where things get interesting is the nutrition aspect of it. While training performance doesn't change drastically for most women, some studies do show slight changes in appetites, cravings, energy in different phases of their cycle. For example, around the luteal phase, the week or so before your period, progesterone rises and your body temperature increases slightly. And some researchers show that this can increase hunger and energy needs just slightly. I know personally, right before my period, I do crave food like crazy. Like I just want all the protein and I do lift quite a bit heavier. My energy is higher. So instead of following a rigid phase diet, I recommend, and it's what I teach my clients, is to eat in alignment with your symptoms, not your calendar. So if you're craving more carbs or you're feeling low energy, you probably do need a little more fuel. And if you're feeling bloated or puffy, maybe lighten up on the sodium, get more fiber, and prioritize your hydration, proper hydration. You don't need to cycle sync your diet, and you don't need a cycle sync diet spreadsheet. You just need to be aware of how you're feeling and how you're looking, also. So my coaching stance is to know your body. Here's the truth: no one can tell you how your body feels each month. So instead of following a generic plan that says only do hit on your follicular phase. I teach my clients to track their symptoms and their energy and to let that guide their training intensity. Obviously, we're going to stick to our program, the program that I've designed for you specifically, but your intensity is going to change based off of your symptoms and your energy. So here's a practical example. You're feeling strong, clear-headed, and full of energy. Go heavy. If you're feeling fatigued, bloated, you have cramps, back off the intensity. Focus on mobility or stretching or walking. If you're feeling somewhat in between, do maintenance level workouts. Enough to keep the consistency, but don't max out. You're not trying to hit your PRs. You're not trying to go as heavy as possible. That's what real bio individuality looks like. Not worshiping the hormone chart, but listening to the feedback loop between your mind, your body, and your cycle. The most powerful data isn't your app, it's your own body awareness. So some practical takeaways. Let's recap on some of the truths that I have um lined out for you guys. Research doesn't support strict cycle-synced training plans for all women across the board. That's number one. Number two, your hormones fluctuate. Yes, but their impact on actual strength or endurance is inconsistent across the board. Three, your nutrition can shift slightly with hormonal changes, especially in the luteal phase. So adjust if your body cues are calling for it. And number four, track your symptoms, your energy, your recovery, and adjust your workouts on how you feel, not what your app says you should do. Bottom line, you're not broken, you're not unpredictable, or at the mercy of your hormones, you're powerful and you're adaptable. And you just need to learn your own rhythm. So the next time someone tells you to do cycle syncing, that's what is, you know, clinically, no, you don't need to cycle sync your workouts. Just smile, say thanks, and remember the best expert on your body is you. I'll drop the studies that I mentioned in today's show notes. And if you want to dig into the data yourself, they are down there. And they're super interesting reads if you like the science behind it all. But if you've enjoyed this episode, share it with another woman who's trying to figure out what actually works for her body. And don't forget to follow for more episodes where you're gonna get the real deal about hormones, mindsets, and healthy living from the inside out. See you next week, guys.