HOW HORMONES AND MENSTRUAL CYCLES AFFECT FEMALE TRAINING

Have you ever been completely drained of energy some weeks, while other weeks you feel so strong you could break boards with your fist?! (hypothethically of course).

There's a reason you may feel less strength, low energy, and not your usual self, and it's NOT because you aren't "committed", or "giving it 100%". The fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone throughout your menstrual cycle alter the body's ability to build muscle and recover.

The body is estrogen dominant the first two weeks of your cycle — the follicular phase — and progesterone dominated the last two weeks — the luteal phase. But fear not, you can take advantage of these hormonal changes by applying the training cycle tips below.

**NOTE: It is important to understand that stronger hormones like insulin and cortisol (stress hormone) affect fat burning far greater than estrogen and progesterone.

Days 1-17 Estrogen dominated - Focus your hardest and heaviest strength-training workouts when your estrogen is at its highest during the follicular phase (peak days are 6 - 14). The follicular phase is shown to be a more anabolic (muscle building) time overall, which allows women to maximize their lean muscle gains through heavy weight training. This is also a peak time for more frequent long-duration cardio sessions with less chance of losing muscle (aka. long distance running or biking).

Days 18-28 Progesterone dominated - Estrogen levels fall during the Luteal phase, causing energy expenditure and energy intake increase (eg. you feel DRAINED). Progesterone is catabolic (muscle breakdown/loss), and reduces the body’s ability to build muscle and recover from training, making long-duration cardio less beneficial during these training days and higher protein diets more beneficial. Increase your protein consumption before and after training during this time and perform shorter duration, higher intensity workouts (such as short burst Hiit cardio, sprint training, etc. Think short-burst of energy as opposed to long, steady state cardio, like running.

Training Breakdown:

Days 1-5: Avoid Tough Training Sessions. During the early follicular and late luteal phase, glycogen stores drop off and endurance weakens. Focus on light workouts.

Day 6-14: Focus your hardest strength-training workouts when your estrogen is at its highest during the follicular phase: Days 6 to 14. These will be your hardest strength (weight) training days. Your estrogen levels are at their highest allowing for maximum muscle growth. Keep reps low and weight high (i.e. 5 repetitions, 4 sets, 80% 1 rep maximum)

Day 6-20: These are your best fat burning days due to the elevation in estrogen levels. Elevated estrogen levels cause a shift in your metabolism during aerobic exercise, allowing you to burn more fat. Plan your longest cardio workouts for the middle of your cycle: Days 6 to 20. Estrogen enhances fat use, which spares glycogen (think carbs in the muscle cells), relying more on the body's fat stores for energy. This helps delay fatigue, improve endurance and spares unwanted muscle breakdown.

Day 14-28: Strength (weight) train at a moderate intensity (8-10 reps, 3-4 sets, 65-75% 1 rep maximum) Focus on large muscle groups (bench press, squat, power cleans, leg press, sit ups, deadlifts)

Days 20-28: Recovery. During the early follicular phase and late luteal phase, glycogen stores drop off and endurance wanes. Focus on a low volume, low stress, recovery workout.

How Lifestyle and Environment Affects on Our Hormones

With a combination of age, stress, and environmental estrogen mimicking compounds (found in beauty products and household cleaning supplies, as well as processed and animal foods) several things begin to occur. The ovaries begin to decrease their production of estrogen and progesterone, and fat cells produce more estrogen by an enzyme called aromatase, creating more and more of an estrogen and progesterone imbalance, further pushing the body towards estrogen dominance. At the same time slimming and muscle building hormones, like human growth hormone (HGH) and DHEA, decline.

Together this creates the perfect storm for female related fat gain and most of it occurs in the mid-section.

Estrogen (and progresterone) have receptors sites in the brain that influence neurotransmitters:

• GABA (neurotransmitter responsible for the regulation of muscle tone),
• Serotonin (neurotransmitter responsible for the feelings of well-being and happiness), and
• Dopamine (neurotransmitter that affects emotions, movements and sensations of pleasure and pain) as well as increases cravings for sweet and fatty foods.
• Instead of gorging on candy, potato chips and other junk food during your menstrual cycle, try unsweetened cocoa powder & BCAA (branched-chain amino acids) supplements mixed in water. This will raise neurotransmitters without the excess calories from junk food (cocoa raises serotonin and dopamine (likely why we crave chocolate) and BCAA's increases GABA.

Fixing the problem:

1. Decrease exposure to estrogens in the diet and environment, including plastic bottles, coffee, soy, pesticides, sodas and stop consuming meats & dairy.

2. Detoxify excess estrogen from the body by increasing green tea, cruciferous veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, etc.) and fiber, and by decreasing dairy and grains.

3. Decrease insulin by decreasing most grains and starches, and replace them with fruits and vegetables. Drink plenty of filtered water (not out of a plastic bottle) and green tea, and reduce consumption of coffee, sodas and other sugar sweetened drinks.

4. Decrease cortisol by lowering stress levels through yoga, meditation, long walks, etc.

5. Supplement with Vitamin D-3, MK7, and a Vegan Omega-3 and EPA-DHA supplement to protect bones, decrease inflammation, protect against heart disease and cancer, and balance female hormones.

6. Weight training is perhaps the most important aspect (especially to stop belly fat that accumulates during aging). HGH is to women what testosterone is to men. It keeps you looking young, lean, and firm. Once progesterone levels fall due to stress, menopause, or other factors, HGH is all that is left to keep belly fat in check. Women falsely believe less intense exercise like walking and yoga will give them the desired “look” of their younger years. While these activities are extremely healthy, they will not be adequate to generate the hormonal effect needed to raise HGH. However, they will work in combination with more intense exercise to lower the negative impact of stress/cortisol.

I want to hear from YOU! Does your menstrual cycle affect YOUR training?