Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSyncing in Each PhasePhysical ActivityFor Chronic PainSelf-CareBalanced Hormones
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Syncing in Each Phase
Physical Activity
For Chronic Pain
Self-Care
Balanced Hormones
Cycle syncing is the practice of adapting your workouts and eating habits to align with the phases of your menstrual cycle. Proponents of cycle syncing suggest tailoring your diet, exercise, and self-care habits with the natural hormonal shifts of your cycle can enhance energy levels and mood and benefit overall health.
Cycle Syncing During Each Phase
The average menstrual cycle lasts around 28 days, though it can vary from person to person. It has four phases: menstruation, follicular, ovulatory, and luteal.Throughout these phases, hormonal shifts—including estrogen, progesterone, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and luteinizing hormone (LH)—affect everything from mood and libido to metabolism and energy levels.
Adjusting your diet at specific times in your cycle can help support your body’s nutritional needs and help manage body changes through each menstrual cycle phase.
Menstruation Foods
Duringmenstruation(your period), your body sheds the uterine lining, and you may experience menstrual cramps and bloating. Blood loss during menstruation can cause adip in your body’s iron levels.During menstruation, consider eating:
Follicular Foods
The follicular phase is the longest in the menstrual cycle.During this phase, ovarian follicles begin to mature in preparation for the release of an egg during ovulation. Estrogen levels start to increase and steadily rise during this phase. To fuel this phase, focus on nutrient-dense foods that promote healthy hormone production and sustained energy levels, such as:
Ovulation Foods
Ovulationis the midpoint of your cycle when estrogen peaks, luteinizing hormone (LH) levels surge, and progesterone begins to rise.Foods rich in antioxidants and protein can help maintain balanced energy and hormone levels. During the ovulatory phase, aim to eat:
Luteal Foods
The luteal phaseis when progesterone levels increase, and some people experience premenstrual symptoms (PMS), such as bloating, headaches, or mood swings.To support your body, focus on consuming foods that can boost mood and manage PMS symptoms, such as:
Hormones and Your Menstrual Cycle
Your strength and stamina fluctuate with your hormone levels throughout the menstrual cycle. Tuning into these changes and adapting your workout routine may make exercise more enjoyable, effective, and sustainable. Here’s how to sync your physical activity with each cycle phase.
Menstruation
During your period, energy levels are often at their lowest, and you may experience breast tenderness, cramping, and bloating. This is an excellent time to focus on gentler forms of movement like yoga, stretching, or walking. These low-impact activities can help ease your symptoms without putting too much strain on your body.
Follicular
As you transition into the follicular phase, your energy increases with estrogen levels. This is an ideal time to incorporate more moderate-intensity workouts and muscle-building activities, such as strength training, cycling, and aerobics.
Ovulation
Ovulation is the phase in which you are likely to feel the most energized and physically capable, thanks to a peak in estrogen, luteinizing hormone, and testosterone. This is the time to take your workouts to the next level withhigh-intensity interval training(HIIT) sessions and cardio workouts or increase the weight, reps, or sets when strength training. Your body is at its peak, making pushing through more challenging workouts easier.
Luteal
As progesterone increases during the luteal phase, energy levels may dip, and you may experience fatigue, bloating, or mood swings. Lower-impact exercises like swimming, Pilates, or brisk walking can help you stay active without overtaxing your body. Mindful movement exercises, such as yoga or tai chi, can reduce stress as your body prepares for menstruation.
Body Changes During the Menstrual Cycle
How Does Syncing Work With Chronic Pain?
If you live with chronic pain, you may notice that your pain levels fluctuate throughout your menstrual cycle. For example, when estrogen levels drop during the luteal phase, some people with endometriosis may experience more intense pain and worsening of other symptoms, such as gas, headaches, or back pain.
For chronic pain conditions, especially urogynecological conditions like endometriosis, adenomyosis, uterine fibroids, or pelvic floor disorders, cycle syncing may provide some relief from symptoms like pelvic pain, menstrual cramps, or painful urination.
Syncing your diet and exercise routine to your menstrual cycle phases may help ease symptoms, manage inflammation, and reduce stress, particularly during the most challenging phases of your cycle. To adopt cycle-syncing practices for chronic pain conditions, consider the following:
Self-Care Across Menstrual Cycle Phases
Beyond diet and exercise, several self-care practices can support your emotional and physical health throughout your menstrual cycle. Here are a few suggestions:
Tracking Your Menstrual CycleTracking your menstrual cycle can help you better understand your body’s patterns and make choices that meet your body’s needs throughout the phases of the cycle. Here are a few suggestions for keeping track of your cycle:Journaling: Keeping a daily log of symptoms, mood changes, and energy levels can help you identify patterns of PMS symptoms and how you feel, which can then help you align your habits with each cycle phase.Apps:Many apps, such asClue,Flo, andMyFLO,can help you monitor the start and end of your periods, predict ovulation, and track symptoms like cramps or fatigue.Calendar tracking:For a simple approach, mark important dates like the first and last day of your period on a physical or digital calendar. You can track changes in your mood, energy levels, or pain.
Tracking Your Menstrual Cycle
Tracking your menstrual cycle can help you better understand your body’s patterns and make choices that meet your body’s needs throughout the phases of the cycle. Here are a few suggestions for keeping track of your cycle:Journaling: Keeping a daily log of symptoms, mood changes, and energy levels can help you identify patterns of PMS symptoms and how you feel, which can then help you align your habits with each cycle phase.Apps:Many apps, such asClue,Flo, andMyFLO,can help you monitor the start and end of your periods, predict ovulation, and track symptoms like cramps or fatigue.Calendar tracking:For a simple approach, mark important dates like the first and last day of your period on a physical or digital calendar. You can track changes in your mood, energy levels, or pain.
Tracking your menstrual cycle can help you better understand your body’s patterns and make choices that meet your body’s needs throughout the phases of the cycle. Here are a few suggestions for keeping track of your cycle:
Are Balanced Hormones Possible?
While cycle syncing cannot guarantee perfect hormonal balance, it offers a framework for supporting your body’s natural processes. The body is generally well-equipped to regulate hormones without specific dietary changes or exercises at different menstrual cycle phases.
Nutrition and exercise can help support these natural processes. Still, perfectly “balancing” hormones is difficult to define because hormone levels—especially those related to menstruation, such as estrogen and testosterone—naturally fluctuate throughout the menstrual cycle.
Cycle Syncing & Hormonal Birth ControlHormonal birth control methods, such as oral contraceptives, patches, and hormonal intrauterine devices (IUDs), regulate your cycle with synthetic hormones. Since the natural phases of the menstrual cycle are altered or suppressed while on hormonal birth control, cycle synching may not benefit you; however, you can still adjust your diet and exercise routine based on how you feel at different points in your cycle.
Cycle Syncing & Hormonal Birth Control
Hormonal birth control methods, such as oral contraceptives, patches, and hormonal intrauterine devices (IUDs), regulate your cycle with synthetic hormones. Since the natural phases of the menstrual cycle are altered or suppressed while on hormonal birth control, cycle synching may not benefit you; however, you can still adjust your diet and exercise routine based on how you feel at different points in your cycle.
Summary
Cycle syncing is a method that aligns your diet, exercise, and self-care practices with the natural phases of your menstrual cycle. Tailoring your lifestyle habits to the four phases of the menstrual cycle may help manage symptoms through each phase.
While each phase may have different physical and emotional changes, there is no scientific evidence to suggest that specific foods or exercises can directly affect hormone levels. While cycle syncing is not necessary for achieving hormonal balance, some people may find it helpful for boosting mood, improving body awareness, and optimizing their wellness routine.
33 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Library of Medicine.News: experts say the ‘cycle syncing’ workout method may not be all it’s cracked up to be.Merck Manual: Professional Version.Female reproductive endocrinology.Li D, Zhang L, Wang X.The effect of menstrual cycle phases on approach-avoidance behaviors in women: evidence from conscious and unconscious processes.Brain Sci. 2022;12(10):1417.doi:10.3390/brainsci12101417Benton MJ, Hutchins AM, Dawes JJ.Effect of menstrual cycle on resting metabolism: a systematic review and meta-analysis.PLoS One. 2020;15(7):e0236025. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0236025Alfaro-Magallanes VM, Barba-Moreno L, Romero-Parra N, et al.Menstrual cycle affects iron homeostasis and hepcidin following interval running exercise in endurance-trained women.Eur J Appl Physiol. 2022;122(12):2683-2694. doi:10.1007/s00421-022-05048-5National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Magnesium - health professional fact sheet.Nuha K, Rusmil K, Ganiem AR, et al.Single-blind randomized controlled trial: comparative efficacy of dark chocolate, coconut water, and ibuprofen in managing primary dysmenorrhea.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023;20(16):6619. doi:10.3390/ijerph20166619USDA: Dietary Guidelines for Americans.Food sources of iron.Bull, J.R., Rowland, S.P., Scherwitzl, E.B. et al.Real-world menstrual cycle characteristics of more than 600,000 menstrual cycles.npj Digit. Med.2, 83 (2019). doi:10.1038/s41746-019-0152-7Kapper C, Oppelt P, Ganhör C, et al.Minerals and the menstrual cycle: impacts on ovulation and endometrial health.Nutrients. 2024;16(7):1008. doi:10.3390/nu16071008Al Alawi AM, Majoni SW, Falhammar H.Magnesium and human health: perspectives and research directions.Int J Endocrinol. 2018;2018:9041694. doi:10.1155/2018/9041694Mumford SL, Chavarro JE, Zhang C, et al.Dietary fat intake and reproductive hormone concentrations and ovulation in regularly menstruating women.Am J Clin Nutr. 2016;103(3):868-877. doi:10.3945/ajcn.115.119321MedlinePlus.Complex carbohydrates.Jurczewska J, Szostak-Węgierek D.The influence of diet on ovulation disorders in women - a narrative review.Nutrients. 2022;14(8):1556. doi:10.3390/nu14081556MedlinePlus.B vitamins.Kim K, Mills JL, Michels KA, et al.Dietary intakes of vitamin B-2 (riboflavin), vitamin B-6, and vitamin B-12 and ovarian cycle function among premenopausal women.J Acad Nutr Diet. 2020;120(5):885-892. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2019.10.013Yamazaki M, Tamura K.The menstrual cycle affects recognition of emotional expressions: an event-related potential study.F1000Res. 2017;6:853.doi:10.12688/f1000research.11563.1U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Office on Women’s Health.Premenstrual syndrome (PMS).Briguglio M, Dell’Osso B, Panzica G, Malgaroli A, Banfi G, Zanaboni Dina C, Galentino R, Porta M.Dietary neurotransmitters: a narrative review on current knowledge.Nutrients. 2018;10(5):591. doi:10.3390/nu10050591Carmichael MA, Thomson RL, Moran LJ, et al.The impact of menstrual cycle phase on athletes' performance: a narrative review.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(4):1667. doi:10.3390/ijerph18041667Draper CF, Duisters K, Weger B, et al.Menstrual cycle rhythmicity: metabolic patterns in healthy women.Sci Rep. 2018 Oct;8(1):14568. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-32647-0McNulty KL, Elliott-Sale KJ, Dolan E, et al.The effects of menstrual cycle phase on exercise performance in eumenorrheic women: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Sports Med. 2020;50(10):1813-1827. doi:10.1007/s40279-020-01319-3Romero-Moraleda B, Coso JD, Gutiérrez-Hellín J, et al.The influence of the menstrual cycle on muscle strength and power performance.J Hum Kinet. 2019;68:123-133. doi:10.2478/hukin-2019-0061Armour M, Smith CA, Steel KA, Macmillan F.The effectiveness of self-care and lifestyle interventions in primary dysmenorrhea: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC Complement Altern Med. 2019;19(1):22. doi:10.1186/s12906-019-2433-8Kissow J, Jacobsen KJ, Gunnarsson TP, et al.Effects of follicular and luteal phase-based menstrual cycle resistance training on muscle strength and mass.Sports Med. 2022;52(12):2813-2819. doi:10.1007/s40279-022-01679-yVelho RV, Werner F, Mechsner S.Endo belly: what is it and why does it happen?-A narrative review.J Clin Med. 2023;12(22):7176. doi:10.3390/jcm12227176Peinado-Molina RA, Hernández-Martínez A, Martínez-Vázquez S, et al.Pelvic floor dysfunction: prevalence and associated factors.BMC Public Health. 2023;23(1):2005. doi:10.1186/s12889-023-16901-3Orlov S, Jokubkiene L.Prevalence of endometriosis and adenomyosis at transvaginal ultrasound examination in symptomatic women.Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2022;101(5):524-531. doi:10.1111/aogs.14337Armour M, Smith CA, Steel KA, et al.The effectiveness of self-care and lifestyle interventions in primary dysmenorrhea: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC Complement Altern Med. 2019;19(1):22. doi:10.1186/s12906-019-2433-8MedlinePlus.Pre-menstrual syndrome self-care.U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Office on Women’s Health.Your menstrual cycle.MacKendrick NA, Troxel H.Like a finely-oiled machine: Self-help and the elusive goal of hormone balance.Soc Sci Med. 2022;309:115242. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115242Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Birth control methods.
33 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Library of Medicine.News: experts say the ‘cycle syncing’ workout method may not be all it’s cracked up to be.Merck Manual: Professional Version.Female reproductive endocrinology.Li D, Zhang L, Wang X.The effect of menstrual cycle phases on approach-avoidance behaviors in women: evidence from conscious and unconscious processes.Brain Sci. 2022;12(10):1417.doi:10.3390/brainsci12101417Benton MJ, Hutchins AM, Dawes JJ.Effect of menstrual cycle on resting metabolism: a systematic review and meta-analysis.PLoS One. 2020;15(7):e0236025. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0236025Alfaro-Magallanes VM, Barba-Moreno L, Romero-Parra N, et al.Menstrual cycle affects iron homeostasis and hepcidin following interval running exercise in endurance-trained women.Eur J Appl Physiol. 2022;122(12):2683-2694. doi:10.1007/s00421-022-05048-5National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Magnesium - health professional fact sheet.Nuha K, Rusmil K, Ganiem AR, et al.Single-blind randomized controlled trial: comparative efficacy of dark chocolate, coconut water, and ibuprofen in managing primary dysmenorrhea.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023;20(16):6619. doi:10.3390/ijerph20166619USDA: Dietary Guidelines for Americans.Food sources of iron.Bull, J.R., Rowland, S.P., Scherwitzl, E.B. et al.Real-world menstrual cycle characteristics of more than 600,000 menstrual cycles.npj Digit. Med.2, 83 (2019). doi:10.1038/s41746-019-0152-7Kapper C, Oppelt P, Ganhör C, et al.Minerals and the menstrual cycle: impacts on ovulation and endometrial health.Nutrients. 2024;16(7):1008. doi:10.3390/nu16071008Al Alawi AM, Majoni SW, Falhammar H.Magnesium and human health: perspectives and research directions.Int J Endocrinol. 2018;2018:9041694. doi:10.1155/2018/9041694Mumford SL, Chavarro JE, Zhang C, et al.Dietary fat intake and reproductive hormone concentrations and ovulation in regularly menstruating women.Am J Clin Nutr. 2016;103(3):868-877. doi:10.3945/ajcn.115.119321MedlinePlus.Complex carbohydrates.Jurczewska J, Szostak-Węgierek D.The influence of diet on ovulation disorders in women - a narrative review.Nutrients. 2022;14(8):1556. doi:10.3390/nu14081556MedlinePlus.B vitamins.Kim K, Mills JL, Michels KA, et al.Dietary intakes of vitamin B-2 (riboflavin), vitamin B-6, and vitamin B-12 and ovarian cycle function among premenopausal women.J Acad Nutr Diet. 2020;120(5):885-892. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2019.10.013Yamazaki M, Tamura K.The menstrual cycle affects recognition of emotional expressions: an event-related potential study.F1000Res. 2017;6:853.doi:10.12688/f1000research.11563.1U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Office on Women’s Health.Premenstrual syndrome (PMS).Briguglio M, Dell’Osso B, Panzica G, Malgaroli A, Banfi G, Zanaboni Dina C, Galentino R, Porta M.Dietary neurotransmitters: a narrative review on current knowledge.Nutrients. 2018;10(5):591. doi:10.3390/nu10050591Carmichael MA, Thomson RL, Moran LJ, et al.The impact of menstrual cycle phase on athletes' performance: a narrative review.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(4):1667. doi:10.3390/ijerph18041667Draper CF, Duisters K, Weger B, et al.Menstrual cycle rhythmicity: metabolic patterns in healthy women.Sci Rep. 2018 Oct;8(1):14568. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-32647-0McNulty KL, Elliott-Sale KJ, Dolan E, et al.The effects of menstrual cycle phase on exercise performance in eumenorrheic women: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Sports Med. 2020;50(10):1813-1827. doi:10.1007/s40279-020-01319-3Romero-Moraleda B, Coso JD, Gutiérrez-Hellín J, et al.The influence of the menstrual cycle on muscle strength and power performance.J Hum Kinet. 2019;68:123-133. doi:10.2478/hukin-2019-0061Armour M, Smith CA, Steel KA, Macmillan F.The effectiveness of self-care and lifestyle interventions in primary dysmenorrhea: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC Complement Altern Med. 2019;19(1):22. doi:10.1186/s12906-019-2433-8Kissow J, Jacobsen KJ, Gunnarsson TP, et al.Effects of follicular and luteal phase-based menstrual cycle resistance training on muscle strength and mass.Sports Med. 2022;52(12):2813-2819. doi:10.1007/s40279-022-01679-yVelho RV, Werner F, Mechsner S.Endo belly: what is it and why does it happen?-A narrative review.J Clin Med. 2023;12(22):7176. doi:10.3390/jcm12227176Peinado-Molina RA, Hernández-Martínez A, Martínez-Vázquez S, et al.Pelvic floor dysfunction: prevalence and associated factors.BMC Public Health. 2023;23(1):2005. doi:10.1186/s12889-023-16901-3Orlov S, Jokubkiene L.Prevalence of endometriosis and adenomyosis at transvaginal ultrasound examination in symptomatic women.Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2022;101(5):524-531. doi:10.1111/aogs.14337Armour M, Smith CA, Steel KA, et al.The effectiveness of self-care and lifestyle interventions in primary dysmenorrhea: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC Complement Altern Med. 2019;19(1):22. doi:10.1186/s12906-019-2433-8MedlinePlus.Pre-menstrual syndrome self-care.U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Office on Women’s Health.Your menstrual cycle.MacKendrick NA, Troxel H.Like a finely-oiled machine: Self-help and the elusive goal of hormone balance.Soc Sci Med. 2022;309:115242. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115242Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Birth control methods.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Library of Medicine.News: experts say the ‘cycle syncing’ workout method may not be all it’s cracked up to be.Merck Manual: Professional Version.Female reproductive endocrinology.Li D, Zhang L, Wang X.The effect of menstrual cycle phases on approach-avoidance behaviors in women: evidence from conscious and unconscious processes.Brain Sci. 2022;12(10):1417.doi:10.3390/brainsci12101417Benton MJ, Hutchins AM, Dawes JJ.Effect of menstrual cycle on resting metabolism: a systematic review and meta-analysis.PLoS One. 2020;15(7):e0236025. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0236025Alfaro-Magallanes VM, Barba-Moreno L, Romero-Parra N, et al.Menstrual cycle affects iron homeostasis and hepcidin following interval running exercise in endurance-trained women.Eur J Appl Physiol. 2022;122(12):2683-2694. doi:10.1007/s00421-022-05048-5National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Magnesium - health professional fact sheet.Nuha K, Rusmil K, Ganiem AR, et al.Single-blind randomized controlled trial: comparative efficacy of dark chocolate, coconut water, and ibuprofen in managing primary dysmenorrhea.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023;20(16):6619. doi:10.3390/ijerph20166619USDA: Dietary Guidelines for Americans.Food sources of iron.Bull, J.R., Rowland, S.P., Scherwitzl, E.B. et al.Real-world menstrual cycle characteristics of more than 600,000 menstrual cycles.npj Digit. Med.2, 83 (2019). doi:10.1038/s41746-019-0152-7Kapper C, Oppelt P, Ganhör C, et al.Minerals and the menstrual cycle: impacts on ovulation and endometrial health.Nutrients. 2024;16(7):1008. doi:10.3390/nu16071008Al Alawi AM, Majoni SW, Falhammar H.Magnesium and human health: perspectives and research directions.Int J Endocrinol. 2018;2018:9041694. doi:10.1155/2018/9041694Mumford SL, Chavarro JE, Zhang C, et al.Dietary fat intake and reproductive hormone concentrations and ovulation in regularly menstruating women.Am J Clin Nutr. 2016;103(3):868-877. doi:10.3945/ajcn.115.119321MedlinePlus.Complex carbohydrates.Jurczewska J, Szostak-Węgierek D.The influence of diet on ovulation disorders in women - a narrative review.Nutrients. 2022;14(8):1556. doi:10.3390/nu14081556MedlinePlus.B vitamins.Kim K, Mills JL, Michels KA, et al.Dietary intakes of vitamin B-2 (riboflavin), vitamin B-6, and vitamin B-12 and ovarian cycle function among premenopausal women.J Acad Nutr Diet. 2020;120(5):885-892. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2019.10.013Yamazaki M, Tamura K.The menstrual cycle affects recognition of emotional expressions: an event-related potential study.F1000Res. 2017;6:853.doi:10.12688/f1000research.11563.1U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Office on Women’s Health.Premenstrual syndrome (PMS).Briguglio M, Dell’Osso B, Panzica G, Malgaroli A, Banfi G, Zanaboni Dina C, Galentino R, Porta M.Dietary neurotransmitters: a narrative review on current knowledge.Nutrients. 2018;10(5):591. doi:10.3390/nu10050591Carmichael MA, Thomson RL, Moran LJ, et al.The impact of menstrual cycle phase on athletes' performance: a narrative review.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(4):1667. doi:10.3390/ijerph18041667Draper CF, Duisters K, Weger B, et al.Menstrual cycle rhythmicity: metabolic patterns in healthy women.Sci Rep. 2018 Oct;8(1):14568. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-32647-0McNulty KL, Elliott-Sale KJ, Dolan E, et al.The effects of menstrual cycle phase on exercise performance in eumenorrheic women: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Sports Med. 2020;50(10):1813-1827. doi:10.1007/s40279-020-01319-3Romero-Moraleda B, Coso JD, Gutiérrez-Hellín J, et al.The influence of the menstrual cycle on muscle strength and power performance.J Hum Kinet. 2019;68:123-133. doi:10.2478/hukin-2019-0061Armour M, Smith CA, Steel KA, Macmillan F.The effectiveness of self-care and lifestyle interventions in primary dysmenorrhea: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC Complement Altern Med. 2019;19(1):22. doi:10.1186/s12906-019-2433-8Kissow J, Jacobsen KJ, Gunnarsson TP, et al.Effects of follicular and luteal phase-based menstrual cycle resistance training on muscle strength and mass.Sports Med. 2022;52(12):2813-2819. doi:10.1007/s40279-022-01679-yVelho RV, Werner F, Mechsner S.Endo belly: what is it and why does it happen?-A narrative review.J Clin Med. 2023;12(22):7176. doi:10.3390/jcm12227176Peinado-Molina RA, Hernández-Martínez A, Martínez-Vázquez S, et al.Pelvic floor dysfunction: prevalence and associated factors.BMC Public Health. 2023;23(1):2005. doi:10.1186/s12889-023-16901-3Orlov S, Jokubkiene L.Prevalence of endometriosis and adenomyosis at transvaginal ultrasound examination in symptomatic women.Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2022;101(5):524-531. doi:10.1111/aogs.14337Armour M, Smith CA, Steel KA, et al.The effectiveness of self-care and lifestyle interventions in primary dysmenorrhea: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC Complement Altern Med. 2019;19(1):22. doi:10.1186/s12906-019-2433-8MedlinePlus.Pre-menstrual syndrome self-care.U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Office on Women’s Health.Your menstrual cycle.MacKendrick NA, Troxel H.Like a finely-oiled machine: Self-help and the elusive goal of hormone balance.Soc Sci Med. 2022;309:115242. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115242Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Birth control methods.
National Library of Medicine.News: experts say the ‘cycle syncing’ workout method may not be all it’s cracked up to be.
Merck Manual: Professional Version.Female reproductive endocrinology.
Li D, Zhang L, Wang X.The effect of menstrual cycle phases on approach-avoidance behaviors in women: evidence from conscious and unconscious processes.Brain Sci. 2022;12(10):1417.doi:10.3390/brainsci12101417
Benton MJ, Hutchins AM, Dawes JJ.Effect of menstrual cycle on resting metabolism: a systematic review and meta-analysis.PLoS One. 2020;15(7):e0236025. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0236025
Alfaro-Magallanes VM, Barba-Moreno L, Romero-Parra N, et al.Menstrual cycle affects iron homeostasis and hepcidin following interval running exercise in endurance-trained women.Eur J Appl Physiol. 2022;122(12):2683-2694. doi:10.1007/s00421-022-05048-5
National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Magnesium - health professional fact sheet.
Nuha K, Rusmil K, Ganiem AR, et al.Single-blind randomized controlled trial: comparative efficacy of dark chocolate, coconut water, and ibuprofen in managing primary dysmenorrhea.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023;20(16):6619. doi:10.3390/ijerph20166619
USDA: Dietary Guidelines for Americans.Food sources of iron.
Bull, J.R., Rowland, S.P., Scherwitzl, E.B. et al.Real-world menstrual cycle characteristics of more than 600,000 menstrual cycles.npj Digit. Med.2, 83 (2019). doi:10.1038/s41746-019-0152-7
Kapper C, Oppelt P, Ganhör C, et al.Minerals and the menstrual cycle: impacts on ovulation and endometrial health.Nutrients. 2024;16(7):1008. doi:10.3390/nu16071008
Al Alawi AM, Majoni SW, Falhammar H.Magnesium and human health: perspectives and research directions.Int J Endocrinol. 2018;2018:9041694. doi:10.1155/2018/9041694
Mumford SL, Chavarro JE, Zhang C, et al.Dietary fat intake and reproductive hormone concentrations and ovulation in regularly menstruating women.Am J Clin Nutr. 2016;103(3):868-877. doi:10.3945/ajcn.115.119321
MedlinePlus.Complex carbohydrates.
Jurczewska J, Szostak-Węgierek D.The influence of diet on ovulation disorders in women - a narrative review.Nutrients. 2022;14(8):1556. doi:10.3390/nu14081556
MedlinePlus.B vitamins.
Kim K, Mills JL, Michels KA, et al.Dietary intakes of vitamin B-2 (riboflavin), vitamin B-6, and vitamin B-12 and ovarian cycle function among premenopausal women.J Acad Nutr Diet. 2020;120(5):885-892. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2019.10.013
Yamazaki M, Tamura K.The menstrual cycle affects recognition of emotional expressions: an event-related potential study.F1000Res. 2017;6:853.doi:10.12688/f1000research.11563.1
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Office on Women’s Health.Premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
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