Okay, so as if that pesky little time in the month isn’t arduous enough – now we need to manage our training and nutrition different around it? Life admin none of us need, right?!
WRONG.
That is if you want to progress, feel great and feel strong.
I say ‘pesky’ – getting that regular period is a marker of health, an absolute privilege. Don’t take a healthy menstrual cycle for granted! One of the ways your body is telling you that it is perhaps in a position to support the growth of a gorgeous little human! Whether you want one of those in your life or not, it’s absolutely pivotal for optimal health. One day, when you're menopausal, you might just want that period back.
Today, let’s just get to grips with period basics, we can talk about nutrition around the different phases of your menstrual cycle another day.
There are two phases in the menstrual cycle, the average full cycle lasts 28 days – DO NOT panic if yours isn’t. This is relatively normal in most circumstances. Of course, as with everything I write about, should you be concerned it can never hurt to pop to the GP.
Follicular phase – day 1 of your period.
Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is produced by the pituitary gland and true to its name, stimulates the growth of follicles in the ovaries.
Oestrogen levels begin to rise in this phase, the lining of the womb thickens ready for the ovary to release that little egg in order to be in a position to support conception if the deed is done! When oestrogen peaks, levels of a hormone we know as luteinising hormone fly up triggering the release of that egg – a process we know as ovulation.
Once ovulation has happened the next phase begins.
Luteal phase.
Here, progesterone hormone levels rise which aids early pregnancy if your egg is fertilised.
Should the egg not be fertilised, oestrogen and progesterone levels dip again telling that bod to start your period all over again.
Cool, right?!
All of these crazy bodily and hormone changes take place without us even thinking, no wonder we can sometimes feel crappy. Many of us go through life simply accepting that sometimes we feel rotten as a result – NOT OKAY! We do not have to. We can work training and nutrition around this stuff to continue on our path to be healthier, happier and stronger together.
Any early questions? Fire away.
Peace and love, A x
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