Maximizing the Energy Fluctuations of a Menstrual Cycle
If you’ve ever had a period, you are probably familiar with the rollercoaster of emotions and energy levels during your cycle. I think it’s probably safe to assume that most of us notice the lack of energy at certain points of our periods, but do you ever notice certain days where your energy has peaked?
Back to Basics
There are various hormones (aka chemicals that essentially tell the body how to work/what to do) at work during a menstrual cycle, but the primary ones are estrogen, progesterone, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). Because a menstrual cycle is just that, a cycle, these hormones are fluctuating throughout the month, not just during your actual period.
The Ups and Downs of Reproductive Hormones
I may be stating the obvious here, but the following explanation occurs when an egg has not been fertilized, hence menstruation. Of course, if an egg is fertilized and pregnancy results, a much different series of events would occur.
The first day of your period marks day one of your cycle; thus begins the menstruation phase, within the follicular phase. Estrogen and progesterone are both low at the start of a cycle, signaling to the brain to release follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). By days 12-14 (the ovulatory phase), estrogen, FSH and LH rise sharply, while progesterone is a little slower to increase. After ovulation, you enter the luteal phase, where estrogen, FSH, and LH drop quickly, and progesterone reaches its peak in preparation for pregnancy. When fertilization (pregnancy) does not occur, progesterone drops, the uterine lining sheds, menstruation begins and the cycle starts over.
As you can see from this graph, all the hormone levels are low and balanced for the first part of the cycle (starting day one, for about a week, give or take). During the middle part of this phase is when you likely will feel the most “normal” before anything starts to peak or drop.
After ovulation, the function of progesterone is to thicken the uterine lining in preparation for pregnancy (which is why it peaks at this time). This takes a tremendous amount of energy and is one reason you may feel more tired during the mid-luteal phase; another reason is that increased progesterone increases fatigue. This makes sense if you notice you’re more sluggish a week or so before your cycle starts. Increased progesterone can also slow gastric emptying in your stomach, resulting in more nausea during this phase, too.
How to Support Naturally Fluctuating Hormones
Menstrual cycles are different person-to-person, so the first step is to bring awareness to your cycle. When do you feel most energetic? When do you feel like you can’t focus and want a nap? Listen to those cues before following any advice here; you know your body best. I generally follow the preceding cycle, but it also varies slightly month-to-month.
Generally speaking, the follicular phase (particularly mid-follicular) is when you likely feel the best, have the most mental clarity, have the most energy and are capable of heavier, more intense exercise. This is largely in part to the fact that all of the female reproductive hormones are at their lowest, allowing your body to be at a more baseline, homeostatic level.
Just before you enter the follicular phase (really starting mid-luteal), you should focus on drinking plenty of water, avoiding sugary, processed foods and increasing your intake of anti-inflammatory foods (fish, grass-fed beef, omega-3s). Once you reach the mid-follicular phase, you should still focus on whole foods, but know that this is probably the most “normal,” productive, and physically active part of your cycle. It is also the most likely time to get pregnant, so be aware!
Opposite of the follicular phase, you likely feel your worst during the luteal phase (particularly mid-luteal), when progesterone is at its highest and estrogen has increased again. Because this can cause significant fatigue, you will likely also feel more emotional, have more mood swings and would rather spend quiet time with yourself than be around others. This is all completely normal! During this phase, you should focus on rest, low to moderate exercise, drinking plenty of fluids, reducing sugar intake, and eating a balanced diet of carbs, healthy fat and protein. I really enjoy drinking herbal teas during this time, particularly ginger, raspberry leaf and Ashwagandha, and will continue to do so until my period has ended.
Takeaways
The menstrual cycle can be divided into two phases, the follicular and the luteal. Except for the menstrual phase at the beginning of the follicular phase, most people feel their best leading up to ovulation (usually days 5/6 through 15/16, give or take a few days). This is a great time to get in more intense workouts, tackle big projects, make decisions, be social and generally enjoy life.
After ovulation, particularly during the mid-luteal phase, most people notice a drop in energy, and likely experience more mood swings, anxiety and wanting to spend quiet time alone. This is a great time to focus on rest, anti-inflammatory foods, including herbal teas and healthy fats, and doing low to moderate exercise.
I’m curious if you’ve ever tracked your cycle in this way. If you have, does any of this jive with what you’ve noticed? Let me know in the comments!