This wellness trend has women aligning their lifestyle around their menstrual cycle phases to optimize well-being. Our experts weigh in on whether there are benefits to adopting it as a self-care habit.
Aug 17, 2023
Cycle syncing is a trendy women’s wellness practice that involves tailoring your habits—including nutrient intake and physical activity level—around where you are in your menstrual cycle. The cycle syncing method was coined by the author of a 2014 book, WomanCode, a holistic health counselor who developed a food program meant to help women “rebalance their hormones.”
The theory of cycle syncing is tied to women’s hormone levels—in particular their estrogen and progesterone levels—which rise and fall in accordance with the four phases of the menstrual cycle, per to the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG); more on that below. These variations impact your mood, energy levels, digestive system, sleep needs, and more, explains Gabrielle Lyon, D.O., a board-certified physician and functional medicine practitioner in New York City. The cycle syncing approach prescribes that you adjust your daily routine in ways that account for these varying hormone levels— and the physical changes that result—for instance, prioritizing iron-rich foods when you’re menstruating. (Iron deficiency anemia is common with heavy periods, a condition that can make you feel tired and weak, per the Mayo Clinic.)
“At its most distilled, cycle syncing is the idea that you are consistently working with your cycle, as opposed to against it,” Dr. Lyon says. Let’s take a closer look at what that means and what the purported benefits are.
The Framework of Cycle Syncing: Phases of the Menstrual Cycle
The cycle syncing method is formatted around the four different phases of the menstrual cycle: These include menstruation, follicular phase, ovulatory window, and luteal phase, per the Cleveland Clinic. Each of these stages are marked by differing levels of progesterone and estrogen.
Here’s what those levels look like over the course of an average 28-day menstrual cycle, according to an overview of healthy menstrual cycle rhythms in Scientific Reports.
Menstruation: Days One to Five
The first day of menstruation marks the first day of your menstrual cycle. During this time frame, the body registers that no embryo has attached to the uterine lining and sheds the “old” uterine lining to make way for a fresh one, per ACOG.
Here, both progesterone levels and estrogen levels are low. How that potentially impacts you:
- Progesterone: Because it stimulates the calming neurotransmitter GABA, per the Cleveland Clinic, high progesterone levels have been linked with fatigue. So when progesterone levels are low, presumably energy levels should be higher. (Still, heavy menstrual bleeding can be a source of feelings of tiredness.)
- Estrogen: According to scientists, one of the key effects of estrogen in the body is its control of energy metabolism—both how efficiently the body uses fuel for energy and whether it gets stored as body fat. The less estrogen circulating, the less efficient the body is at converting fuel to give you energy.
Follicular Phase: Days Six to 14
In this phase, the egg begins to mature in the ovary and typically lasts from day six to 14, per the Cleveland Clinic. Now that the uterus is rid of the “old” lining, the new lining starts to thicken in preparation for a future, potentially fertilized egg. Meanwhile, the ovaries prepare to release the egg.
During this time, progesterone levels are gradually increasing and estrogen spikes to its highest level of the month right before ovulation is to begin. It’s here that energy levels may be at their best.
Ovulation Window: Days 15 to 17
Ovulation is a one-day event during which the ovaries release the egg and it begins to travel down to the fallopian tubes where it has the potential to be fertilized by sperm. It can take an egg 12 to 30 hours to travel to the fallopian tube, which is why this stage is often regarded as two days long.
Here, progesterone levels are still increasing while estrogen takes a dip right after ovulation; this may translate to feeling less energetic. Researchers believe the plunge in estrogen following ovulation may be a cause of premenstrual syndrome, per the Cleveland Clinic.
Luteal Phase: Days 18 to 28
During this phase, the body takes inventory of whether or not you are pregnant. If you are not, your estrogen and progesterone levels will nose-dive, which prompts the start of a new cycle, says Dr. Lyon.
Before that nose-dive, progesterone levels are at their highest and estrogen, which has slowly climbed in days 18 to 21, is relatively high. That downward slope of both hormones in the final week coincides with the one-week premenstrual stretch right before menstruation.
Does Cycle Syncing Actually Work?
The short answer: More research is needed. “Cycle syncing is not a medical treatment,” says Sophia Yen, M.D., a clinical associate professor in pediatrics in the department of adolescent medicine at Stanford Medical School in Stanford, CA, and founder of online women’s health care provider Pandia Health.
Further, the cycle syncing method itself has not been scientifically studied.
There are, however, studies on ways that hormonal fluctuations affect energy, appetite, and mood. One recent study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health looked at whether energy levels during exercise are significantly impacted by changes in hormones, specifically estrogen, throughout the menstrual cycle. The researchers concluded that while estrogen has been shown to impact metabolism and increase energy levels, they agreed with previous findings that deemed the performance effect minimal.
Meanwhile, research in Nutrition Reviews found that estrogen inhibits appetite, while progesterone stimulates it. This suggests that individuals tend to consume more calories during their ovulatory and luteal portions of the cycle when progesterone is higher, than they do during the menstrual and follicular phases, when estrogen levels are highest. Still, researchers concluded that more research on the subject is necessary.
Who Is Cycle Syncing For
First of all, cycle syncing can only be considered by anyone who is not taking hormonal birth control, according to Dr. Yen. “Hormonal birth control overrides your natural menstrual cycle,” she explains. (The regular doses of a synthetic form of progesterone used in hormonal birth control, called progestin, prevent ovulation, per the Cleveland Clinic.)
That said, the practice may have received increased popularity after the coach of the United States Women’s National Soccer Team revealed that the players’ menstrual cycles were being factored into their training and competition strategy.
Indeed, more women are seeking such a performance edge from cycle syncing, says Jenna Stangland, R.D.N, a dietitian and strength and performance coach in Minneapolis, MN, who specializes in helping athletes optimize nutrition and training strategies. The following types of her female clients are most likely to incorporate cycle syncing:
- Athletes
- People with specific fitness goals
- Individuals trying to lose weight or body fat
“Where you are in your cycle involves significant hormone shifts and these are directly related to energy levels, energy needs, mood, and muscle building,” says Stangland, who has been incorporating the approach in her practice for over a decade. “When athletes don’t practice cycle syncing, it can lead to a lot of frustration, while practicing cycle syncing can help them to adjust nutrition and exercise details that help them meet their training goals more efficiently.”
Felice Gersh, M.D., an obstetrician-gynecologist (OB-GYN) and integrative medicine physician in Irvine, CA, also sees some validity in the practice for everyday women looking to be at their best throughout the month. “Anyone with a menstrual cycle knows that where they are in their cycle can impact how it makes them feel,” says Dr. Gersh. “It makes sense that someone would want to make decisions about what they put in their body and how they exercise around how they feel.”
Dr. Gersh notes that this method could also be beneficial for people with conditions that affect one’s menstrual cycle—such as uterine fibroids, premenstrual dysmorphic disorder (PMDD), endometriosis, and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)—by encouraging them to prioritize self-care.
How to Sync Your Exercise to Your Cycle
This boils down to matching your monthly workout intensity around your energy levels at different points in your cycle. When you are menstruating, rest and recovery are key. “Iron levels are on the decline during your period, due to blood loss, so energy levels are at a monthly low,” says Stangland. “Light movements, yoga, and walks are the best form of exercise for this phase as they allow your body more time to rest,” she explains. Or, if you’re training for a long-distance event like a marathon, this can mean doing your runs at an easier pace, or switching a faster training run with a lower-intensity exercise modality instead, such as riding a stationary bike.
As a general rule, your body can handle stress—including the stress of exercise—and recover fastest when progesterone levels are low (and you are also not menstruating), says Stangland. “So, it’s during the follicular phase that the body is most ready for high-intensity workouts, and higher training volume,” she says.
During your ovulatory phase, there is also a spike in testosterone, which may help you lift heavier as well as recover from those strength sessions faster, says Stangland. Indeed, higher testosterone has been linked with higher power and strength compared to lower testosterone levels.
During the luteal phase when the hormone progesterone is highest—and so is its potential fatigue-producing effect—Stangland recommends prioritizing lower-intensity exercise like strength training, jogging, and Pilates over high-intensity exercise.
How to Sync Your Diet to Your Cycle
“Broadly speaking, the idea behind adjusting your diet to your cycle is that you take in key nutrients to help your body compensate or capitalize from an energy standpoint,” explains Stangland. (Again, there is little or no substantial research that directly confirms the benefits of a cycle-syncing approach to nutrition.)
Intuitively, though, it makes sense: During menstruation, “iron-rich foods such as dark leafy greens, pumpkin seeds, and red meats would be good to consume at this time in order to replace the iron lost through the menstrual blood,” says Stangland. The daily intake recommendation of 18 milligrams (mg) of iron per day is enough for most women, but those with especially heavy flows may benefit from supplementing, per the National Health Service.
She also recommends consuming foods rich in vitamin C like oranges, strawberries, and bell peppers because vitamin C supports iron absorption.
“During the follicular phase, the body is more insulin sensitive so the body can tolerate more carbohydrates and more calories,” says Stangland. That’s not carte blanche to double your meal size (you will gain weight if you do) but if you pair an increase in carbs and calories with a higher amount of exercise during this time, it’s a win-win. Exactly how much you increase your carb and calorie intake will vary based on your activity level, but Stangland suggests aiming for one additional serving of healthy carbs—sweet potato, rice, quinoa, whole grain bread—per day to start.
During ovulation, your goal is to eat the most nutrient-dense meals possible, says Stangland. After all, this is the time of the month when your body has the potential to create new life inside it. Aim to consume a wide variety of fruits and veggies, she suggests.
Rounding out the month, the luteal phase is when the body uses more fat for energy than it does during other times of the month, explains Stangland. That’s because progesterone increases metabolic rate, which means more fuel and calories are burned when progesterone levels are high. Given that marginally more fat is being burned, “nutritionally, this is the phase of your cycle that fat intake should increase,” she says.
Still, like the dietary recommendations for all phases of your cycle, the differences in calories or fat burned are very small. Loading up on either is a recipe for gaining weight. So rather than see the luteal phase as a free-for-all for eating foods high in saturated fats, aim to consume healthy fats, like salmon, avocado, and almonds, Stangland says.
The Benefits of Cycle Syncing
While the jury is still out as to whether cycle syncing is worth any training or nutritional edge for the average woman versus a competitive athlete, such close monitoring of one’s menstrual cycle may benefit women not on hormonal birth control who want to either conceive or prevent pregnancy naturally. “Cycle syncing requires you to know where you are in your cycle,” says Dr. Yen. “While there is no research showing that cycle syncing can improve fertility, knowing your cycle helps you know when you are most fertile and therefore when to try to conceive.”
Aside from making you more attuned to your fertility window, cycle syncing can give you helpful insight on how your cycle impacts your overall mood and well-being, notes Dr. Lyon. If this kind of data is interesting to you, or if you have PMS, she recommends charting your period, and then tweaking your eating and exercise to follow suit. “Some people also say that cycle syncing can help improve symptoms of PMS,” agrees Dr. Gersh.
Dr. Lyon believes being attuned to your body’s needs is not a bad approach to determining your daily self-care. “Essentially you’re aiming to eat foods rich in a nutrient your body needs at a particular phase or resting when that’s what your hormonal levels want,” she says. “You’re working with, not against, your body.”
How to Start Cycle Syncing
Just as with beginning any new diet or exercise plan, you’ll first want to check in with your health care provider. “A provider will help you figure out if there are any underlying causes of the symptoms you are trying to eradicate—beyond exercise and nutrition intake,” Dr. Gersh explains. After all, sometimes intense premenstrual symptoms are caused by another reproductive health or menstrual disorder like endometriosis or PMDD.
If you get the greenlight from your doctor, the first step to syncing your lifestyle with your cycle is to know where you are in your monthly cycle. “There are plenty of cycle-tracking apps that you can use for this,” says Stangland. “There, you can log information such as when you got your period, your resting heart rate that day, your basal body temperature, and ovulation.”
The more info you log, the more data you’ll have about your body. So, you may also choose to log insight on period pains, energy levels, how you felt during your workout, and when you had sex, as well as what birth control you used if any, she says. From there, you can begin to make some of the aforementioned edits to your diet, exercise, and lifestyle habits with your cycle and any symptoms in mind.
If you are trying to determine whether the switch to cycle syncing has had any benefit for you, Dr. Gersh recommends waiting three months before coming to a conclusion.
https://www.healthcentral.com/womens-health/cycle-syncing
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