The Menstrual Cycle Explained: Understanding Your Hormones & Energy

The menstrual cycle is often reduced to one thing: your period. But in reality, it’s a continuous hormonal rhythm that influences your energy, mood, appetite, focus, stress tolerance, and even how your body responds to exercise.

Understanding the menstrual cycle allows you to work with your body rather than fighting against it. Instead of expecting yourself to feel the same every day, you can begin to recognise patterns - and support yourself accordingly.

Let’s break it down.

Cycle Basics

• Cycle day 1 is the first day of your bleed

• Your cycle ends the day before your next period starts

• A healthy cycle typically lasts 21–35 days

• The cycle is made up of four distinct phases, often compared to the seasons

Each phase has a different hormonal environment and different needs.

Phase 1: Menstrual Phase (Winter ❄️)

~3–6 days

This phase begins on day one of your bleed. Oestrogen and progesterone are at their lowest levels, triggering the shedding of the uterine lining.

How it often feels:

• Lower energy

• Feeling colder or slower

• More inward and reflective

• Lower social battery

How to support this phase:

• Focus on warm, nourishing foods (soups, stews, curries)

• Avoid icy drinks and lots of raw food

• Gentle movement only, if any

• Epsom salt baths and extra rest

👉 Mild discomfort can be normal, but pain that requires painkillers, very heavy bleeding, or large clots may indicate an underlying imbalance (often linked to oestrogen dominance or thyroid issues).

Phase 2: Follicular Phase (Spring 🌱)

From the start of your bleed until ovulation

As bleeding ends, oestrogen begins to rise. This hormone supports brain function, motivation, and cellular repair.

How it often feels:

• Energy gradually increases

• Clearer thinking

• Increased motivation and productivity

• Better stress tolerance

Physical signs:

• Increasing cervical mucus

• Discharge may feel creamy or lotion-like

How to support this phase:

• Increase training intensity gradually

• Try new projects or ideas

• Prioritise blood sugar balance to support hormone rise

Phase 3: Ovulation (Summer ☀️)

Mid-cycle

Ovulation occurs when oestrogen peaks and an egg is released from the ovary.

How it often feels:

• Confident, social, expressive

• Higher libido

• Strong and capable in workouts

• “On top of things”

Fertility basics:

• The egg lives for 24–48 hours

• Sperm can survive for up to 3 days

• The fertile window is around 5–7 days

• Cervical mucus becomes clear, stretchy, and egg-white-like — helping sperm reach the egg

Phase 4: Luteal Phase (Autumn 🍂)

Ovulation → next bleed

After ovulation, the corpus luteum forms and progesterone should rise. This hormone is essential for mood stability, sleep, and cycle health.

Healthy luteal phase:

• Minimum 10 days

• Ideally 12–14 days

• Maximum around 16 days

How it often feels:

• Gradual drop in energy

• Lower stress tolerance

• More inward, intuitive, reflective

• Increased appetite

How to support this phase:

• Eat regularly (more insulin resistance here)

• Dial back intense workouts

• Prioritise rest and sleep

• Reduce caffeine and stress where possible

Why This Matters

When we expect ourselves to function the same every day, we often end up pushing through phases that require rest - leading to fatigue, PMS, anxiety, painful periods, and burnout.

Cycle awareness isn’t about limitation.It’s about working with your biology, not against it.