Periods can be a pain. Cramps, mood shifts, and the constant hassle of bleeding can make everyday life challenging, and working out can feel even tougher. This is where cycle syncing for your female clients comes in.
What is cycle-syncing?
Cycle-syncing involves adjusting your clients’ exercise to align with their menstrual cycle and choosing specific workouts for specific phases of the cycle. It’s become a popular trend among female exercisers, but health and fitness professionals have questioned if it’s really worthwhile.
So, is it…? Let’s start by addressing the main issue.
High-quality research in this space has been pretty thin on the ground. For decades, exercise science was built largely on male physiology. Before the 1980s, fewer than one in five study participants were female, and many early theories about female physiology stemmed from single studies, often conducted with animals rather than with women.
What we do know is that hormonal shifts across the menstrual cycle may spark fluctuations in metabolism, body temperature and injury risk, with the evidence strongest for body temperature. Around 75% of female athletes report symptoms like cramps, back pain, headaches and bloating during their cycle. Yet newer research indicates the cycle has little impact on strength performance, and another study finds minimal impact on muscle protein synthesis after resistance exercise.
Dr Jinger Gottschall, a fitness and wellness research scientist who specialises in women’s health, notes that while monthly hormonal changes can affect mood, fatigue, and motivation to exercise, there is no universal training strategy that resolves symptoms for everyone. This is because menstrual cycle length, phase length, and ovulation timing vary greatly within individuals.
Gottschall, along with Dr Gillian Hatfield and Les Mills Head of Research Bryce Hastings, recently led a study of 148 highly active women to explore how their cycle impacted motivation, stress, fatigue, and physical and emotional wellbeing. Their findings, presented at the 2026 ACSM Health and Fitness Summit and currently pending publication, were clear: How women felt changed throughout their cycle, but how they trained did not.
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Motivation, fatigue, stress, and symptoms fluctuated across the cycle; however, women felt the most noticeable increases in physical discomfort in the days leading up to their period and during menstruation.
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In the late luteal phase (the days leading up to a period) and during menstruation, women reported lower motivation to exercise, higher fatigue, more stress, and physical symptoms such as bloating, headaches, body aches, breast tenderness, and digestive issues. They also noted more feelings of anxiety, moodiness, sadness and irritability. All issues consistent with common premenstrual (PMS) experiences.
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Despite feeling these fluctuations at certain points in the cycle, women generally exercised just as often for similar amounts of time and did the same types of exercise at similar workout intensities.
In short, women felt worse at some points in their cycle, but they generally kept training anyway. Gottschall explains: “This suggests the menstrual cycle may change how exercise feels, especially around a period and just before it, but it does not need to dictate how you train.”
“The specific impact of each phase is different for everyone. And shifts in energy and mood are normal,” adds Hatfield. “Additionally, factors other than the menstrual cycle can affect your energy and motivation to exercise, such as sleep, nutrition, and other sources of stress in your everyday life. The important takeaway is to listen to your body and adapt exercise to suit your body and your mind.”
- It is helpful to understand and anticipate cycle-related symptoms.
- Feeling more tired or less motivated around your period is normal.
- Check in with how you feel each day.
- Adjust training when symptoms are significant.
- Stay flexible instead of following strict calendar-based rules.
What are the phases of your menstrual cycle?
As most women will know, the menstrual cycle starts on the first day of a period and ends when the next period begins. The average cycle is around 28 days, but it can vary. Within a cycle, there are three phases:
The follicular phase
Ovulation
The luteal phase
Each phase is fuelled by hormones – four in particular. In the early stages of a cycle, a hormone known as the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) tells the ovaries to prepare and produce the egg-containing follicles. These follicles then produce the second hormone, oestrogen, which rebuilds the lining of the uterus. Once the follicles are big enough and produce enough oestrogen, the third hormone – luteinising hormone (LH) – is produced. This releases the egg, which causes ovulation. In this final phase, the follicle that contained the egg begins to produce the fourth hormone, progesterone. It is progesterone that helps prepare the uterus for a possible pregnancy.
How should your clients align exercise with their menstrual cycle?
The information below describes patterns some women notice, not a schedule to follow. Use this information as a starting point, and let the symptoms, energy and how your client feels, guide their training, rather than the calendar.
How should your clients exercise during the early follicular phase?
At the beginning of the cycle, menstrual hormones are low while your client is menstruating. They may be dealing with symptoms like inflammation, pain and a good dose of lethargy. This is when they might want to be kind to themselves, and train in a way that really nurtures their body and mind.
How should clients exercise during the mid-follicular phase?
As the follicular phase progresses, oestrogen starts to rise. This is when energy levels may start to pick up and some find a higher pain tolerance. Some women find this can be the perfect time to train harder and push through high-intensity workouts and strength training.
How should your clients exercise from the late follicular phase to ovulation?
As oestrogen levels peak at the end of the follicular phase, so too can your clients’ motivation to exercise. In this phase, right before ovulation, they may feel motivated to train hard – although research shows measured performance varies little across the cycle, so let how they feel guide them, rather than the phase they’re in.
How should your clients exercise during the luteal phase?
After ovulation, menstrual cycle hormones fluctuate fast. Energy levels can drop and your clients may be feeling heavier because of fluid retention. Some women find this is the perfect time to embrace longer, more steady-state training. They may like to focus on improving technique and movement efficiency, rather than pushing for a personal best. Some women also find gentler, recovery-focused activities like yoga, meditation and breathwork feel good during this phase.
Should your clients sync their diet to their menstrual cycle?
Some women may find it helpful to focus on iron-rich foods during menstruation and nutrient-dense meals across the cycle. However, nutrition needs vary, so the most useful approach is to prioritise regular meals, enough energy, and a varied diet that supports their training and recovery.
What should your clients eat during the follicular phase?
In the early follicular phase, during menstruation, fuel the body with iron-rich foods like legumes, seafood, red meat, nuts and seeds and choose meals with anti-inflammatory foods and antioxidants. Dark leafy greens, cauliflower and kiwi fruit add useful vitamins and minerals too. Throughout the follicular phase, maintain energy levels with complex carbs like oats, legumes and whole grains. Mix with a variety of plant foods and high-quality proteins like fish and eggs to help recovery.
What should your clients eat during the luteal phase?
In the luteal phase, many find their appetite and cravings can increase, driven by rising progesterone and a small rise in resting metabolism. This is when it’s important to fuel the body with nutrient-dense foods and snack regularly. As this luteal phase progresses, encourage your clients to start consuming more anti-inflammatory foods like fatty fish, tomatoes, dark leafy greens and berries.
- Iron-rich foods like legumes, seafood, red meat, nuts and seeds
- Anti-inflammatory foods and antioxidants
- Dark leafy greens, cauliflower and kiwi fruit
- Complex carbs like oats, legumes and whole grains
- High-quality proteins like fish and eggs
- Nutrient-dense foods
- Regular snacks
- Anti-inflammatory foods like fatty fish, tomatoes, dark leafy greens and berries
What is the best way to train throughout the menstrual cycle?
We’re all different, so it’s important to explore what works for your individual clients.
Many women find the late follicular phase (the time between menstruation and ovulation) can be a good time to push, hustle, grind and break records. During the late luteal phase and menstruation, many women choose to scale back and do the type of training that nurtures their body.
It’s important to be aware that the shape of your clients’ cycle is unique – research shows cycle length, phase length, and ovulation timing can vary greatly within individuals and it can change month-to-month and at different points of their life. The hormonal shifts they experience in their younger years can also vary later in life, and there can be significant changes when they reach perimenopause and menopause.
- Explore different options rather than follow prescriptions.
- Tailor intensity and impact as feels good for each individual client.
- Make recovery a key part of their training routine.
More frequently asked questions
Is cycle-syncing backed by science?
Cycle-syncing is popular, but research does not yet support a single workout plan that is equally effective for everyone, based on cycle phase alone. The more useful approach is to notice your clients’ symptoms, energy, sleep, stress, and motivation levels, then adjust their training as needed.
Should clients work out during their period?
Clients can work out during their period if it feels right for their body. Many women will continue with their usual training, while some feel better with gentle movement, stretching, walking, or low-impact exercise. If symptoms are strong, reducing intensity or prioritising recovery can be a smart choice.
What type of exercise is best during menstruation?
The best exercise during menstruation depends on how your clients feel. Their usual workout may still feel good. Low-impact cardio, mobility, yoga, stretching, and lighter strength work can feel supportive when cramps, fatigue, or discomfort are high.
When in the cycle might clients feel their strongest?
Some women feel strongest or most motivated in the mid-to-late follicular phase, when energy may rise after menstruation. This is not universal, so it is worth tracking each client’s individual patterns, rather than relying on a fixed cycle-based rule.
Should clients avoid high-intensity exercise before their period?
Clients do not need to avoid high-intensity exercise before a period if they feel well. However, the late luteal phase is when some women notice more fatigue, bloating, discomfort, and lower motivation. If that happens, choose a lower-intensity workout, focus on technique, or take extra recovery time.
In summary
Your clients do not need to follow a strict cycle-syncing workout plan. Research suggests menstrual cycle symptoms can affect how exercise feels, especially before and during a period, but most women do not need to change their entire training plan based on cycle phase. A more useful approach is to track how you feel, adjust intensity when symptoms are strong, and keep training flexible.
