Athletic Performance & Periods

Posted @withregram • @pietonpt Periods🩸and Performance 🏋🏻‍♂️ (part 1) .

Ladies, our monthly cycle impacts our athletic performance, period. The hormonal changes that naturally occur throughout the month influence our: cardiovascular system, respiratory rate, temperature regulation, strength output, insulin sensitivity, soft tissue flexibility, when we prefer to utilize carbohydrates vs fats for energy, just to name a few...it’s not just in our heads (that’s another post for another day!) .

I share this info not to make you feel defeated, nor to say that you should let go of your performance goals. I share this to say, the more you know about your cycle, the more you can use this information to your advantage! Knowledge is power! 💪 .

So where do I even begin this convo?! 🤷🏻‍♀️ and note that this post is the beginning of what will be an ongoing conversation... .

I find many women do not have a good understanding of their cycle, let alone have helpful feedback on how their body is feeling and adapting throughout the month. Many also have limited insight into when menstruation usually occurs for them personally. So let’s start there!

Understanding your cycle (see image):🔺Follicular phase includes menstruation and when follicle development occurs (~9 days). Hormones are relatively low 🔺Ovulatory phase is when ovulation occurs (~5 days) and estrogen peaks🔺 Luteal phase is when the endometrial lining thickens and estrogen and progesterone are elevated (~14days) 💛 special note: there are phases within the follicular and luteal phases, too! But for simplicity sake, these are the primary ones to keep in mind.

Hormone changes and training preferences 🏃🏻‍♀️ Curious to learn how each phase has different needs? Want to know how to use that to your advantage?

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Periods🩸and Performance 🏋🏻‍♂️ (part 1) . Ladies, our monthly cycle impacts our athletic performance, period. The hormonal changes that naturally occur throughout the month influence our: cardiovascular system, respiratory rate, temperature regulation, strength output, insulin sensitivity, soft tissue flexibility, when we prefer to utilize carbohydrates vs fats for energy, just to name a few...it’s not just in our heads (that’s another post for another day!) . I share this info not to make you feel defeated, nor to say that you should let go of your performance goals. I share this to say, the more you know about your cycle, the more you can use this information to your advantage! Knowledge is power! 💪 . So where do I even begin this convo?! 🤷🏻‍♀️ and note that this post is the beginning of what will be an ongoing conversation... . I find many women do not have a good understanding of their cycle, let alone have helpful feedback on how their body is feeling and adapting throughout the month. Many also have limited insight into when menstruation usually occurs for them personally. So let’s start there! . Understanding your cycle (see image):🔺Follicular phase includes menstruation and when follicle development occurs (~9 days). Hormones are relatively low 🔺Ovulatory phase is when ovulation occurs (~5 days) and estrogen peaks🔺 Luteal phase is when the endometrial lining thickens and estrogen and progesterone are elevated (~14days) 💛 special note: there are phases within the follicular and luteal phases, too! But for simplicity sake, these are the primary ones to keep in mind. . Hormone changes and training preferences 🏃🏻‍♀️ Curious to learn how each phase has different needs? Want to know how to use that to your advantage? . Comment “Me 🙋🏻‍♀️” and I’ll tag you in my next post where I’ll be talking about all of this and more!

A post shared by Dr. Christine Pieton, DPT, MBA (@pietonpt) on Sep 8, 2020 at 5:21pm PDT

Periods🩸and Performance (part 2) . I was blown away and happily surprised by the overwhelming response to learn more about this topic, and excited to continue this discussion with you. If you missed part 1 on Tuesday, be sure to check that out! . Today we're diving into how the different phases of our cycle require different needs, and how knowing this information allows us to optimize our system, not just athletically but in all arenas. Hormone changes and training preferences: 🔺Follicular phase = lower levels of estrogen and progesterone are more optimal windows for higher intensity workouts, heavier lifting sessions, and personal best attempts. This is also when the body tends to prefer carbohydrates as its primary energy source. 🔺Ovulatory phase = estrogen peaks and improved strength gains can still be realized, but the increase in tissue laxity increases our risk for injuries. 🔺Luteal phase = higher levels of estrogen and progesterone happening concurrently, resulting in a preference for lower intensity to moderate steady state training sessions and the body prefers healthy fats more often as its primary energy source. . What about hormonal birth control (BC)? There hasn't been enough research in the area of female athletic performance, let alone how our cycles play a role, which also means we still don't know enough about how BC affects these outcomes as well. This is where I think tracking our own cycles and using our own observations can shed a lot of light on how our systems are doing, feeling, and fluctuating in the interim. . Athletic performance and overall performance: Taking note our cycles provide insight far beyond our ability to PR in a race or workout. It's a helpful window into how our system is doing with regards to energy, fuel, fitness, sleep, and recovery. Optimizing our athletic performance isn't separate from optimizing our personal performance. How we manage our day-to-day activities, navigating professional commitments, handling stress, nurturing relationships, etc...impact our hormones, too! . Who's now inspired to track their cycles? 🙋🏻‍♀️ If you already do, has this intel been helpful for you?