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OPTIMISE YOUR FEMALE CLIENT ’ S RUNNING
WITH MENSTRUAL CYCLE-BASED TRAINING
Few female runners or coaches take the menstrual cycle into consideration when planning training , but by working with , rather than against , fluctuations in oestrogen and progesterone levels , you can structure training to optimise results , writes Dr Jason Karp PhD .
A talanta , the Greek goddess of
travel and adventure , was known for her athletic prowess that rivalled that of most men . Warned against marriage by an oracle , Atalanta came up with a plan to marry only a suitor who could beat her in a race , killing those who failed to outrun her . “ I am not to be won till I be conquered first in speed . Wife and couch shall be given as prize unto the swift , but death shall be the reward of those who lag behind ,” she exclaimed in the Roman poet Ovid ’ s Metamorphoses .
Many would-be suitors were beaten until Hippomenes fell in love with Atalanta and wanted to marry her . When hearing of the challenge , he was skeptical , but when Atalanta took off her outer garments for her next race , that was all he needed to send in his race entry . There was one problem , however . He knew he could not beat Atalanta , so he asked for help from Aphrodite , the goddess of love . Aphrodite provided Hippomenes with three golden apples to drop on the race course to distract Atalanta . During the race , whenever Atalanta pulled ahead of Hippomenes , he rolled one of the golden apples off the course , tempting a curious Atalanta to stop and pick up the fruit . Atalanta ’ s frequent stops to fetch the apples were just enough for Hippomenes to win the race and Atalanta ’ s hand in marriage .
The menstrual cycle , which occurs monthly from a woman ’ s first period ( age approximately 11 to 14 ) until menopause ( age approximately 45 to 50 ), holds information about how female runners should train for optimal performance .
The large fluctuations in the menstrual cycle ’ s major hormones - oestrogen and progesterone - affect the female runner ’ s hormonal environment and , therefore , her physiology and training .
Female physiology
A textbook menstrual cycle is 28 days ( but can last up to 35 days ) and is divided in half by ovulation on day 14 , as the egg is released from the ovary . Although the menstrual cycle is complicated , an easy way to think of it is that the first half - the follicular phase - begins with the period and is dominated by oestrogen ; the second half - the luteal phase - begins with ovulation and is dominated by progesterone , although oestrogen is also elevated in the middle of the luteal phase . The luteal phase ends with the start of the period , and the cycle starts over again .
The follicular phase typically lasts 14 days but can last 11 to 21 days . Following the period , which typically lasts 3 to 5 days , oestrogen rises , peaking around day 14 , right before ovulation , when it is 10 times the level it was at the beginning of the follicular phase . During the follicular phase , progesterone remains low .
The luteal phase always lasts 14 days . Progesterone rises after ovulation , while oestrogen drops before rising again toward the middle of the phase . The increase in progesterone , which , at its peak in the middle of the luteal phase , is 25 times the level it was during