The menstrual cycle, a guide for beginners (like me)
For a long time I think I’ve been in denial about how little I know about the menstrual cycle. Bearing in mind it affects 50% of the population at some point in their lives, I am fairly horrified that the impact of this natural event on daily activity isn't considered more widely.
So, this is my attempt to break down the facts about the menstrual cycle in a way that people like me can access and understand.
So, let's begin.
How long is your cycle? It usually lasts around 28 days but can vary between 24-35 days. As is clear from period symptoms, all of our cycles are slightly different. There is no one size fits all, which is great because if there was there would probably be a lot more people who are bothered to take the time to research it!
For ease I will use 28 days as a baseline example. These 28 days are split into two halves. The first half is called the Follicular phase and the second the Luteal phase. In the past this is probably the furthest my brain has got before being turned off at the sight of scientific words. So, bear with me, I will try to keep this next part as simple as possible.
Let’s begin on Day One. Day one, the beginning of your cycle, is when your period begins. This marks the beginning of the Follicular phase and usually lasts around 14 days.
Now let's introduce the hormones.
The main hormones of this show are oestrogen and progesterone. So, what exactly is a hormone?
Hormones are released from glands and their job is to send messages to various organs and tissues in order to control health and behaviour. The job of oestrogen and progesterone is to support reproduction. However, as well as doing this, their changing levels can also have an effect on many other systems in our body, for example respiratory and metabolic systems.
Oestrogen increases the levels of serotonin (sometimes called the 'happy' chemical because it contributes to well-being and happiness). Oestrogen is therefore considered a feel-good hormone as it has the power to improve confidence, mood or your motivation to exercise.
Progesterone can have a calming effect and can often help reduce feelings of anxiety as well as help with sleep. However, it is also considered a catabolic hormone, meaning it breaks down muscle. This is something I will come back to in a follow-up blog regarding the impact of the menstrual cycle on exercise.
So, back to day one. At this point, considering what we have just learnt about both hormones, it will come as no surprise that the levels of both are low. Once your period is finished, oestrogen starts to rise and will peak at around day 12. As you can imagine, this is taking place in the week following our period and we are feeling good, symptoms have subsided, we have stopped bleeding and generally remembering what it's like to be ourselves again.
A breakdown of the menstrual cycle
https://www.open.edu/openlearn/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=116018§ion=2 - ‘Supporting female performance in sport and fitness’ The Open University.
But remember, this is all based around reproduction and on around day 14 ovulation occurs and an egg is released from our ovary (one of two glands in which an egg is produced each month). This marks the end of the Follicular phase and the beginning of the Luteal phase which will continue until our period starts again.
Our oestrogen levels have now begun to drop but experience a rise again during ovulation. The progesterone, which we did not hear much from during the follicular phase, also starts to rise and will peak around the middle of this phase. This is a great time as both oestrogen and progesterone levels are high, our mood might be more relaxed and anxiety may slightly subside.
But, sadly, we are not in a Disney film and all women will know what is coming next. Yes, both hormones now start to drop rapidly, marking the beginning of the premenstrual phase which takes place in the lead up to our period. This is when women will experience some of the 150 symptoms (often referred to as Premenstrual Syndrome or PMS) that are caused by this rapid drop in hormone levels.
Now, as we know, people's experience of these symptoms can vary greatly and this is due to our differing degrees of sensitivity to the hormone levels. Personally I would experience PMS cramps, as well as the superpower to be able to eat anything and everything in sight without getting full. However I am well aware of just how severe some symptoms can be – I lived with a girl at university who was physically sick from pain every month.
The symptoms of PMS can be debilitating and, with a lack of awareness and conversation, women often have no choice but to continue daily life without letting those symptoms affect their commitments, including family life, work or study.
The more we understand our cycles the more empowered we are to acknowledge the root causes behind behavioural or physical changes that we might face. The more we know, the more power we have to adapt and put in place strategies that allow us to perform consistently at our best. It is important not just for us but for everyone who works with women to understand and therefore better serve everyone in the community.
Next week I will look into how the changes in the menstrual cycle can affect performance when it comes to training - some research results may surprise you.
If you have made it this far, I salute you, and hopefully this has provided some nuggets of information to consider in the future.
