For a long time, most exercise science focused on men. Training programs and recovery plans were made for male bodies, and women were expected to use the same approach. Now, things are changing. New research shows what many women already knew: our bodies react differently to training than men’s bodies do. Hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle, perimenopause, and menopause all affect how we train. This makes it clear that women need training plans that work with, not against, their biology.
How to Start Training With Your Menstrual Cycle
Syncing training with your menstrual cycle is not a new idea, but the science supporting it is getting stronger. The menstrual cycle has two main phases: the follicular phase, which is the first half before ovulation, and the luteal phase, which is the second half after ovulation. Estrogen is highest during the follicular phase, and new research suggests this may help with muscle building and recovery.
Research published in Sports Medicine found that resistance training timed to the follicular phase can lead to greater strength and muscle gains than during the luteal phase (Kissow et al., 2022). Other studies also show that women’s anaerobic capacity and muscle strength are usually highest in the first half of the cycle (Kissow et al., 2022; Oosthuyse et al., 2023). So, heavy lifting and high-intensity workouts may feel easier and be more effective in the days before ovulation. Training tailored to cycle phases did not consistently outperform standard programming (Kubica et al., 2024). Research also suggests that the transitions between phases, not just the phases themselves, may matter just as much (Bruinvels et al., 2022). Most female athletes do report perceiving the late follicular phase as their peak performance window and the early follicular and late luteal phases as more challenging (Righi & Barroso, 2022), but your personal experience may vary.
The International Society of Sports Nutrition suggests tracking your hormonal patterns alongside your training results to determine what works best for you (Sims et al., 2023). Apps and wearables that track your cycle can help you learn your body’s rhythms, rather than sticking to a strict plan.
Nutrition That Works With Your Cycle
It is not just your training that changes during your menstrual cycle; your nutrition needs do too. In the luteal phase, progesterone lowers your body’s ability to make glucose from other sources, so you need more carbohydrates (Sims et al., 2023). If you are a person that craves carbs before your period, there is a real reason for it.
Protein requirements also shift. The ISSN recommends that women in the luteal phase target the upper end of the protein recommendations, between 1.4 and 2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight per day, due to progesterone’s catabolic effects on muscle tissue (Sims et al., 2023; Oosthuyse et al., 2023). Adequate protein intake is not just about building muscle; it is about maintaining the muscle you already have.
How Does Training With Your Menstrual Cycle Change During Perimenopause and Menopause?
During perimenopause, which is the transition that can last several years before menopause, hormone levels change a lot. Estrogen and progesterone become unpredictable, so planning workouts around your cycle is impractical. At this stage, being consistent with exercise is most important.
Research indicates that initiating or maintaining regular exercise during perimenopause may be particularly effective, as estrogen-related receptor pathways appear more responsive during this window than later in postmenopause (Tamariz-Ellemann et al., 2023). In other words, the habits you build now have compounding returns.
A 2025 study found that 86.5% of perimenopausal and postmenopausal women expressed interest in resistance training specifically for bone health, and 71.8% were interested in high-intensity resistance and impact training (HiRIT) to address both bone density and menopausal symptoms (Kaluta et al., 2025). This enthusiasm reflects what the research supports: physical activity during this transition improves cardiometabolic risk, bone density, mood, and sleep quality (Hulteen et al., 2023; Nappi et al., 2022).
Experts recommend getting 150 to 300 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise each week, along with muscle-strengthening exercises twice a week (Nappi et al., 2022). For postmenopausal women, performing resistance training 2 to 3 times a week at 40 to 80% of their one-rep max helps maintain muscle and bone strength (Miszko & Cress, 2000).
Postmenopause: Prioritizing Strength and Longevity
After menopause, the focus shifts further still away from hormonal timing and toward age- and health-focused programming. With persistently low estradiol levels, the priority becomes protecting bone density, maintaining muscle mass, and supporting cardiovascular health through consistent, appropriately challenging exercise.
Nutritionally, postmenopausal women may benefit from higher creatine supplementation (around 0.3 grams per kilogram of body weight per day) to support bone health, cognitive function, and muscle preservation (Sims et al., 2023). Protein timing also becomes critical: consuming high-quality protein containing approximately 10 grams of essential amino acids close to exercise can help overcome the anabolic resistance that develops after menopause when the body becomes less efficient at using protein to build and maintain muscle (Sims et al., 2023).
The Takeaway: Your Biology Is a Blueprint, Not a Barrier
The move toward training programs made for women is long overdue, and it is about more than just performance. It is about showing women that what they feel in their bodies is real and based on science, and that it is worth planning for. Whether you are training for a race, going through perimenopause, or just want to feel strong after menopause, the research shows that the best training plan is one that fits who you are.
Pay attention to your body’s patterns. Change your nutrition as needed. Lift heavy weights when you feel ready. Focus on being consistent when you do not. Moreover, remember, science is finally recognizing what women’s bodies have always known.
Whether you are adjusting your intensity for your menstrual cycle or navigating the physiological shifts of perimenopause, skin sensitivity is a real factor in your fitness journey. Lower estrogen levels or high-intensity repetitive movement can make intimate skin more prone to dryness and irritation. To prevent the painful chafing that often follows a workout, incorporate Mia Vita® Intimate Moisturizer into your pre-session routine. Made without hormones, it provides the essential hydration needed to protect your body through every phase of your training.
References
Bruinvels, G., Hackney, A. C., & Pedlar, C. R. (2022). Menstrual cycle: The importance of both the phases and the transitions between phases on training and performance. Sports Medicine, 52(7), 1457–1460.
Hulteen, R. M., Marlatt, K. L., Allerton, T. D., & Lovre, D. (2023). Detrimental changes in health during menopause: The role of physical activity. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 44(6), 389–396.
Kaluta, L., Billington, E. O., McDonough, M., Burt, L. A., & Gabel, L. (2025). Exercise preferences and perceptions of women during the menopausal transition. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism.
Kissow, J., Jacobsen, K. J., Gunnarsson, T. P., Jessen, S., & Hostrup, M. (2022). Effects of follicular and luteal phase-based menstrual cycle resistance training on muscle strength and mass. Sports Medicine, 52(12), 2813–2819.
Kubica, C., Ketelhut, S., Querciagrossa, D., et al. (2024). Effects of a training intervention tailored to the menstrual cycle on endurance performance and hemodynamics. The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 64(1), 45–54.
Miszko, T. A., & Cress, M. E. (2000). A lifetime of fitness: Exercise in the perimenopausal and postmenopausal woman. Clinics in Sports Medicine, 19(2), 215–232.
Nappi, R. E., Chedraui, P., Lambrinoudaki, I., & Simoncini, T. (2022). Menopause: A cardiometabolic transition. The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, 10(6), 442–456.
Oosthuyse, T., Strauss, J. A., & Hackney, A. C. (2023). Understanding the female athlete: Molecular mechanisms underpinning menstrual phase differences in exercise metabolism. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 123(3), 423–450.
Righi, I., & Barroso, R. (2022). Do recreationally trained women of different ages perceive symptoms of the menstrual cycle and adjust their training accordingly? International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(21), 13841.
Sims, S. T., Kerksick, C. M., Smith-Ryan, A. E., et al. (2023). International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: Nutritional concerns of the female athlete. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 20(1), 2204066.
Tamariz-Ellemann, A., Wickham, K. A., Nørregaard, L. B., Gliemann, L., & Hellsten, Y. (2023). The time is now: Regular exercise maintains vascular health in ageing women. The Journal of Physiology, 601(11), 2085–2098.