Cycle Syncing 101: Understanding the Four Phases of Your Menstrual Cycle
Welcome to Cycle Syncing 101. I’m so happy you’re here. This will be your series of blog posts to help you unlock the power of your menstrual cycle and live more in tune with your body. I have so much to share, but today we focus on the basics - the science of your cycle.
Your body functions on a (roughly) 28 day cycle. Most cycles average between 25-35 days if they're regular and healthy. The hormone levels in your body are different every single day during this cycle. No two days are alike! Hormones rise and fall in an intricate dance inside your body. By harnessing the power of your cycle, you can sync your cycle to your workouts, diet, productivity and social life to accomplish everything you want in life, and more.
Syncing your cycle starts with understanding your cycle. There are four phases: follicular, ovulatory, luteal and menstrual. Each phase has very unique characteristics and necessary hormonal shifts that need to happen in order for your body to be healthy. Let's break each phase down.
Phase One: Follicular - Growth
Length: 7-10 days
The Short: The phase where several egg follicles grow.
Major Hormones: FSH is secreted. Estrogen starts to rise.
The Long: The pituitary gland in your brain secretes Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH). FSH stimulates the follicles in your ovary to grow. Estrogen starts to rise to thicken your uterine lining in preparation for potential egg implantation.
How You're Feeling: Energized, focused and motivated. This is a great time to plan for the month ahead and engage in social activities.
Phase Two: Ovulatory - Culmination
Length: 3-4 days
The Short: The egg is released from the ovary.
Major Hormones: FSH rises sharply. LH surges. Estrogen peaks. Testosterone peaks.
The Long: There is a sharp rise in FSH. Luteinizing Hormone (LH) also increases and stimulates just one follicle to swell further and burst. That egg is then released from the ovary, down one of the fallopian tubes and travels to the uterus. Testosterone quickly surges (hello sex drive!) and then drops around ovulation. Estrogen peaks prior to ovulation and then sharply drops off for a brief time. Vaginal secretions are at a high - this is considered a wet phase.
How You're Feeling: Absolutely incredible! You have the most energy at this time. Perfect for crushing a hard workout or charming a potential suitor on a date.
Phase Three: Luteal - Awareness
Length: 10-14 days
The Short: The ovary produces progesterone.
Major Hormones: Progesterone rises & reaches its peak. Estrogen rises again.
The Long: The rise in progesterone occurs from the corpus luteum, the leftover follicle that the egg was released from, which grows on the surface of the ovary. This rise signals the pituitary gland to stop releasing FSH and LH. Towards the end of the phase, testosterone also rises. If the egg hasn't been fertilized then it get reabsorbed into the body.
How You're Feeling: This is the longest phase. Towards the beginning you're feeling pretty energized, but towards the end you are more reflective and introspective. This is a good time for getting tasks done.
PMS Much? This is the phase where PMS symptoms could show up. If you have low levels of progesterone or an imbalance of progesterone and estrogen, then you may suffer from mood swings, irritability, anxiety, bloating, cravings, night sweats, tender breasts, acne, joint/muscle pain, headaches, and fatigue (just to name a few).
Remember - you don't have to live with this! PMS is common, but if these symptoms are showing up it is the sign of a hormone imbalance.
Phase Four: Menstrual - Rest
Length: 3-7 days
The Short: Hello period!
The Long: Progesterone drops off and causes the shedding of the uterine lining. Estrogen reaches another peak and then drops. Your vagina is in a dry phase.
How You're Feeling: In general, this is a time of REST. However, you could feel any type of way throughout each day of your bleeding phase. Some women feel more tired and at rest, and some have more energy. Think about it - your body is shedding part of itself, so allow yourself some time and space to go inward, indulge in your favorite self care and allow yourself to just chill for a day or two!
Period Problems? Pain. Severe cramping. Heavy bleeding. Heavy clotting. Super short period (less than 3 days). Super long period (longer than 7 days). These are period problems - and they are not problems you have to live with!
There you have it! The basic science of the four phases of your menstrual cycle. Do your phases meet the typical length? Is your cycle between 25-35 days? Are you experiencing PMS in your luteal phase and period problems in your menstrual phase? Go back through this and honestly check in with yourself. If you're not not where you want to be, and not sure how to get there, let's hop on a call. I love helping women like you solve their period problems and harness the power of the cycle.
For more reading on this topic see: Cycle Syncing 101: Workout Smarter, Not Harder & 8 Reasons Why You Should Track Your Cycle.
Next up we’re talking about how to sync your diet to your cycle. Join my email list to make sure you don't miss when this article comes out!
❤️ your cycling sista,
-Mar