16-01-2025 | Hadassah Groenewold

The impact of your cycle on sports and performance

When I started training intensively on the bike four years ago, I noticed that my performance was quite inconsistent. I became especially aware of this when I began training with a coach. Based on my training data, they could pinpoint exactly which phase of my cycle I was in. But how does this work exactly?

Representation of the cycle phases.

The four seasons

The menstrual cycle can be compared to the four seasons of the year.

  • Winter: From the first day of your menstruation, you often just want to be alone and lie under a blanket on the couch. This is the phase of physical discomfort: you need a lot of sleep but often sleep poorly. You withdraw and can’t handle many stimuli.
  • Spring: About four days later, spring arrives, a phase where the light begins to shine again. You feel confident, social, and strong.
  • Summer: Around ovulation, summer begins. In this phase, you feel like you can take on the world: you radiate, your hair and skin are at their best, and you feel invincible. #doineedtosaymore?
  • Autumn: After ovulation, hormone levels drop, and the strong, all-conquering feeling of summer fades. You feel less energetic, tire more quickly, sleep poorly, are grumpier, get angry more easily, and move toward winter.

The main hormones that determine these seasons are estrogen and progesterone, but testosterone also plays a role. In short, estrogen makes you feel strong and fit. This hormone rises from winter and starts to decline after summer (around ovulation). Testosterone increases libido around ovulation, and progesterone is a relaxation hormone that causes fatigue during the autumn and winter phases.

Every woman is different

One size fits all? Absolutely not. The extent to which the cycle affects overall well-being varies greatly from woman to woman. For me, there was a clear peak and a clear drop, which were connected to my menstruation. This insight is helpful because it allows me to plan around important events and have more understanding for my fatigued periods.

Personally, I think many women are not always aware of the effects, making it difficult to determine whether it impacts them. Besides your cycle, everyone has an off day now and then. But do you want to understand how your monthly cycle affects you? Do you want to know how your menstruation can work to your advantage? Start by tracking your cycle. Note when your menstruation begins and also how you feel. Pay attention to things like your energy level, cravings, mood, libido, tolerance, recovery, sleep patterns, and strength.

What’s next?

In my next blog, I will delve deeper into issues surrounding the female cycle and how you can influence them yourself.

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