Menstrual cycle-syncing workouts debunked by experts in new study

Track your gains, not your period.

Menstrual cycle-syncing workouts have become some of the trendiest regimes in recent years, but a recent study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that going to the extra effort makes no difference whatsoever.

The menstrual cycle is categorized into four phases: menstruation, follicular, ovulatory, and luteal.

As women’s bodies transition through the different phases, they may experience different effects such as food cravings, fluctuating energy levels, cramps and pelvic pain.

To combat this, the notion of cycle-syncing guides women to tailor their workouts and diets to “balance” their hormones to allow for peak performance.

Fitness influencers and wellness girlies have been promoting the idea so much so that the TikTok hashtag #CycleSyncing has accumulated 520.4 million views.

Yet, experts found that there is little to no scientific evidence to prove this method works.

In fact, an international team reportedly found limited research on women and exercise to work with at all.

The researchers examined women’s use of fat versus carbohydrates, the potential for muscle growth, or blood-vessel function across the cycle phases, ultimately finding few or no differences.

They concluded that hormonal levels vary too much during each menstrual period — and between the cycles of individual women — for a generalized program to work.

“Hormone levels can vary substantially. Not just between two women, but within one woman from one cycle to the next,” co-lead author Mai Wageh, a PhD candidate in the Department of Kinesiology at McMaster University, said in a statement.

“Women can feel better or worse, and some are even incapacitated during various phases of their cycle.”

Including what time of day to work out to how long and how often to exercise, cycle-syncing is just one of the many viral fitness trends influencers insist will allow viewers to hack their biology and pump out the most efficient workout.

But Wageh disagrees with generalized programs.

She advised that everyone should follow “an individualized approach to training.”

“Track your cycle and your symptoms in each phase and adjust your exercise plan accordingly. There is no one-size-fits-all approach,” Wageh said.