Cycle syncing, a word introduced by Alisa Vitti, an integrative nutritionist, and women’s hormone expert, is the newest buzzword we have been seeing for some time, but is it actually a new trend? Definitely not. Women have been naturally cycle-syncing for years before the term even came up. Naturally, you feel like your body has different needs throughout your cycle, and you feel the urge to satisfy them, even if it’s not in your favor.
Remember how often you have heard “of course, eat that bucket of ice cream, you’re PMSing”’. Although this might be what you want to hear during this phase, it might not be the best for you. Contrary to beliefs, women’s menstrual cycle is a very powerful thing if we know how to make it work with us, not against us. The fluctuations in hormones throughout the months can affect our mood, stress levels, appetite, energy, and sleep.
Studies have linked the increase in premenstrual symptoms (PMS) to the consumption of junk food, which leads to menstrual abnormalities, especially in the phase right before the menstrual phase, when we mostly crave sweets and junk food.
What exactly does cycle syncing mean?
In simple words, cycle syncing means adjusting your lifestyle habits to work with your menstrual cycle, mainly physical activity and nutrition. It means that you take your menstrual cycle into account when doing your usual habits, and make your hormones work in your favor, instead of thinking that they make your life feel like a rollercoaster.
Learning about cycle syncing will show you how to eat, train, and work to optimize each phase of your menstrual cycle. Our bodies are not the same during each phase, and learning more about your menstrual phases is key to making the most out of your month.
Although research on cycle syncing is limited, the fluctuations in hormones –estrogen and progesterone– are proven to affect our lifestyles, also how we feel emotionally, our cognitive abilities, energy, and mood. So, understanding the fluctuations of hormones might help you schedule your habits around them. Remember every time you cried right before your menstrual phase, even if it was because of something you wouldn’t regularly get emotional about? Yes, that’s your hormones (watching Marley and Me is definitely a no-no in the luteal phase).
What are the benefits of cycle syncing?
Cycle syncing can provide many benefits for everyone, but especially if you are someone who has issues with their energy levels, or libido, is overweight, or is planning for pregnancy and wants to increase their fertility.
Checking in with your cycle should be the norm, because of how powerful it is. It should be a normal part of our lives, like checking the weather before planning the day. If you’re not feeling like your best self, especially around the time of your period when you are most likely to experience premenstrual syndrome symptoms (PMS), then cycle syncing might change your life. I like to think of it as an act of mindfulness; being in tune with your body and giving it the love and care that it needs.
The framework
As our hormones fluctuate in the span of four weeks, biologically speaking, the cycle can be split into three different phases: follicular (pre-egg release), ovulatory (egg release), and luteal (post-egg release).
Although it’s assumed that your actual period is your menstrual phase, this is not true. Your period is the fourth phase of your menstrual cycle, which consists of four different phases, according to Health Line.
- Menstrual (1–5 days) → Your hormones (estrogen and progesterone) are at their lowest points.
- Follicular (6–14 days) → Your hormones (estrogen and progesterone) begin to rise.
- Ovulatory (15-17 days) → Estrogen is getting really high, while progesterone and testosterone are rising.
- Luteal (18-28) → Estrogen and progesterone levels are high.
Enough with the science talk, and let’s get into how you can adjust your eating and exercise habits to fully benefit from your menstrual cycle.
Cycle syncing and physical activity
During the menstrual phase (your actual period), the uterus starts shedding its lining because of the reduced levels of both hormones: estrogen and progesterone, and that’s when vaginal bleeding happens. During this phase, abdominal cramps are most likely to occur, and the heavier the bleeding gets, the more intense the cramps get.
To clear the debate on whether or not women should exercise during their period (menstrual phase), understand that exercising during this period should be according to how the person feels. Yes, physical activity leads to more blood flow which reduces PMS symptoms, especially cramping, however during this time your body feels tired, and if rest is what you feel like doing, then that is the right thing for you.
One of the benefits of cycle syncing is increasing mindfulness and the connection you have with your body. That’s why it’s important to listen to what it needs. If physical activity makes you feel better, but you’re too fatigued to go a full session, you can try some light activities like stretches, walking, or even yoga.
The follicular phase as mentioned is when your estrogen and progesterone levels start to rise, resulting in a boost in energy levels, which is a suitable time to step up a bit and maybe do something more high-intensity.
The ovulatory phase is when you’re at peak energy, and definitely your prime phase. It’s when you’re most fertile and have a ton of energy and strength. If you’re weight lifting, during this phase you can schedule your heavy lifts to attempt personal records.
During the last phase of your cycle, the luteal phase, your energy levels start to decrease again because your body is preparing itself to go into menstruation again. You might feel more tired and can exercise with moderate intensity, or even light intensity if you’re feeling more fatigued. Remember, listening to your body is key.
By cycle-syncing your exercise regimens, you will learn to connect more with your body by working with your natural energy levels, instead of forcing yourself to push through times when your body needs more rest. This will help you make the most out of your training program, and training doesn’t feel dreadful and forced.
Cycle syncing and nutrition
Negron, a functional nutritionist, recommends using food as medicine to reduce PMS symptoms and make you feel better all month long. It is common to think that our bodies need to same nutrients all four weeks long. However, this is not true because the fluctuations in estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone hormones cause our bodies to have different needs during each menstruation cycle.
According to research, one of the main reasons for hormonal imbalances is having a bad diet. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t eat the foods you want. However, choose the timing to avoid messing up your hormones, and having worse PMS symptoms because contrary to beliefs, eating sugar during your period won’t make you feel better, it’s the complete opposite.
During the menstrual phase, it is recommended that drink warm and soothing drinks such as chamomile tea which is known for its soothing and relaxing properties, or any herbal tea you like. Try to limit or completely cut off the consumption of fatty foods, alcohol, caffeine, spicy food, and salty food.
Next is the follicular phase where hormones and rising. It is recommended to prioritize foods rich in fiber, and foods that help metabolize estrogen levels such as fermented foods such as kimchi and broccoli sprouts. Also, foods rich in zinc like whole grains and eggs help prepare your body for the next phase.
The ovulation phase is the phase your hormones are at their highest and you’re feeling your best. There’s no specific nutrient that you need during that phase unless you’re planning on getting pregnant you can focus on more quality food and supplementing with folic acid.
Lastly, in the luteal phase, your hormones fluctuate between high and low. This might cause you to get into a bad mood (hence the mood swings before your period). So you should focus on foods that produce serotonin (happiness hormone) like leafy greens. You might also need to focus on magnesium-rich foods to combat the feeling of fatigue as dark chocolate.
One important thing to focus on when cycle syncing, whether nutrition or exercise, is to listen to your body and connect to it before you make lifestyle adjustments. Try to slowly introduce cycle syncing gradually into your routine and notice the changes in your body. Our bodies are different, and so are their needs. What works for someone else might not be the right thing for you. So, listen to your own body. It will thank you and reward you for the love and care you give it.