Menstrual phase nutrition - Phase 1B
This is the second half of the follicular phase and carries you into ovulation. During this time, you may find that your energy is at its peak - take advantage of this natural high by incorporating a few workouts that push you to your maximal effort.
Feels like: You could take on the world! You feel unstoppable and you can train harder and longer. For a lover of training and movement, this phase is awesome and a great opportunity to make gains.
Training objectives:
Optimise training results. Push hard, but also recover well, sleep well and eat well!
Take advantage of your body's ability to endure top-end speed, plyometrics, and tempo intervals.
Increase your training volume and enjoy max effort work!
Nutrition objectives:
If you are doing long endurance efforts, focus on increasing your intake of carbohydrates before your session. Think a piece of fruit like a large banana, a slice of bread with a little nut butter and honey or a bowl of oats.
Include collagen or gelatin for soft tissue recovery. When it comes to the health benefits of gelatin and collagen, they’re identical because gelatin is simply the cooked form of collagen. Collagen is naturally produced by our bodies and is the most important and abundant structural protein found in our connective tissue, skin and bones. It gives our skin elasticity and is the glue holding our joints and tendons together. Collagen is often left out of the modern diet because it is not present in lean cuts of meat, but rather bones and connective tissue. You can purchase a quality collagen powder - collagen has close to 20 different nonessential and essential amino acids and is a great source of glycine, proline and glutamine. There are two different types of collagen: marine and peptides. Marine collagen is derived from fish, while peptides are derived from beef. Collagen doesn't gel, it’s completely flavourless and can be added to any liquids or mixed into foods. This is why you can add it into pretty much anything, including smoothies, coffee, hot chocolate, breads, cookies etc. Alternatively, gelatin is derived from collagen, when collagen breaks down, it becomes gelatin. For example with bone broth, the bones are loaded with collagen, and as the bones simmer in water breating broth, the collagen slowly breaks down into gelatin. To turn gelatin into a powder, it is simply dried. When the gelatin powder gets mixed with water, it turns back into gel. You can buy gelatin and make your own gummies, panna cotta or use it as a thickener for super creamy hot chocolates and coffee.
You might be training more intensely during this phase, so also focus on enough protein and carbs straight after your session. Carb intake pre and post training will help fuel performance and replenish muscle glycogen stores.
IN SUMMARY
In the Low Hormonal phase, we should feel ready and pumped to tackle the harder intensity sessions and add a little more volume - which means we can think of this phase as a week to “prime” yourself for maximum intensity and load, and a week of ramping it up as you move towards ovulation. With training comes additional responsibility for good recovery so we want to make sure you're providing your body with the building blocks it needs to repair and rebuild.
Fuel metabolism
You are more insulin sensitive, your blood sugar levels more stable and you may be less hungry. You will be training more intensely during this phase, so also focus on enough protein and carbohydrates straight after your session. Carbohydrate intake pre and post-training will help fuel performance and replenish muscle glycogen stores.
Whole food choices
With longer endurance efforts, focus on increasing your intake of carbohydrates before your run. Think fruit, e.g. a large banana, a slice of bread with a little nut butter and honey or a bowl of oats.
Use the extra motivation in this phase to meal-prep some balanced meals and training nutrition!
Hydration
Drink according to thirst and sense in this phase. This seems simple, but it can be hard to tell when we're dehydrated. With an increase in training volume, make sure your hydration strategy is on point (we can help you with this!) and that this strategy is separate from your nutrition.