Lioness Lucy Bronze uses “cycle synchronization” to get an advantage over his competition – this is how practice works

England footballer Lucy Bronze recently said in an interview “Synchronization of the cycle” It gives her an advantage on the pitch. This practice involves adapting the training schedule to different phases of the menstrual cycle.

The cycle synchronization has become more and more popular in recent years – especially among athletes who want to gain an advantage over the competition. Even Chelsea Women football team I managed to employ a fresh approach, adapting training schedules in accordance with the menstrual cycle of each player.

For the average person, adapting training to the menstrual cycle will probably not have much influence. But for a professional athlete, such as bronze, cycle synchronization, it can be a strategy for gamie in shaping her elite performance.

Get your messages from real experts, straight to the inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive the latest reports from news and research in Great Britain, from politics and business to art and science.

The menstrual cycle begins and ends with menstruation (period). While the length of the menstrual cycle is different for each person, it is usually it About 28 days.

The menstrual cycle is basic by fluctuations in the levels of female sex hormones of estrogen and progesterone. Therefore, the cycle is divided into Three key phases: Early follicular, tardy follicle and luteal phase.

The early follicular phase usually lasts about seven days and starts from the beginning of the period. It is then that hormone levels are the lowest.

The tardy follicular phase occurs from the first seven days and where ovulation happens – usually around the 14th day of the cycle, although it will depend on the length of the cycle. Ovulation takes place when the egg is released and you are the most fertile.

Then the luteal phase appears (lasting about 12-14 days), when progesterone reaches the peak to prepare the body for pregnancy. If the pregnancy does not occur, the hormones are falling and the cycle begins again.

It’s no secret that mood and energy levels can change – sometimes significantly – throughout the entire menstrual cycle. That is why some athletes began to employ the cycle synchronization. By adjusting training schedules to match hormonal fluctuations, women gain a deeper understanding of their bodies and symptoms that they experience in every phase – enabling them wiser, not stronger.

Bronze said that the strategy has transformed her performance, saying that during some phases of the cycle she feels “physically capable of more and can train harder.”

Despite these references, scientists have not yet come to the final conclusion how the menstrual cycle affects sports results.

So far there is a suggestion that it may be slight immersion in performance (especially for strength and endurance) in the early follicular phase. However, these effects are minimal – and highly dependent on the person. It is also not entirely clear what mechanisms constitute the basis of these diminutive ones immersed in the performance that some women experienced.

Other studies suggest this Some aspects of the nervous system (Network of nerves and muscles that enable movement) – in particular the way our muscles generate strength – it is changed during the luteal phase. Studies have also shown that some muscles can Fatigue less fast in this phase.

This means that during the luteal phase signals from the brain and spinal cord to skeletal muscles may occur. However, no changes were observed in the nervous -muscular function.

One of the reasons why it is so arduous to get sufficient evidence to draw sturdy conclusions about the potential impact of the menstrual cycle on sports results, is the huge variability of the characteristics of the menstrual cycle, which hinders the study. Phase length, hormone levels and symptoms It may differ significantly between women – and even from cycle to cycle.

Diminutive effects observed in these studies will have little impact on the way most of us train or exercise. But for an elite athlete, these diminutive differences can affect their training and competition, which can be the reason why so many are ready to try.

So although it is not completely clear how much impact some phases of the menstrual cycle have on performance, How do you feel In various phases, it can certainly affect your ability to train at the best.

About 77% of athletes Experience negative symptoms in the preceding days and during menstruation. Fatigue, feeling less motivated and even experiencing digestive problems, such as flatulence and nausea, can affect your ability to train at best.

Trying to synchronize the cycle

If you are still interested in the reference number of the cycle, try to see if it has any effect for you, the best place to start is to track the menstrual cycle. It will assist you understand your body, how you feel in every phase of the cycle and what impact some symptoms train.

It is recommended to follow your cycle at least three months Before introducing any changes in the training to establish the base line and see trends in time.

For example, if you notice that you often feel tired of training in the luteal phase, it can assist you focus on providing you well with carbohydrates Before and during training. Or on days when you feel more energetic and motivated to train, you can be a bit harder during training.

Regardless of whether you play in England in euros or just work on your own fitness goals, understanding the cycle can assist in training smarter, better dealing with symptoms and maintain compliance with training.