What even is the Infradian Rhythm?
You know the circadian rhythm, or sleep-wake cycle, but an emerging area of study is developing around the infradian rhythm, in reference to the menstrual cycle.
This bodily clock is reserved for those in their menstruating years, and according to Alisa Vitti, a women’s health and wellness expert and founder of FLO Living, it governs six key functions:
Reproductive system
Microbiome
Metabolism
Brain function
Immune system
Stress response system
Seems like a pretty important function to understand, no? So why have we never heard of the infradian rhythm? Because females in their menstruating years are generally left out of research studies due to the complexity of their biochemistry, i.e research says: “Sorry! You’re too hormonal!” So it seems researchers haven’t been jazzed up about studying this very complexity.
Only as recently as 1994 the NIH mandated the inclusion of women and racial and ethnic participants in biomedical research studies. This is clearly important information regarding medications one might take, but females in their reproductive years should also note how this affects what we think about diet and exercise, say Keto and CrossFit and for example. Most medical studies in humans are still conducted on white men or post menopausal women.
So how does the infradian rhythm actually work? The Cycle Synching Method, trademarked by Vitti, is the idea that you can optimize your health and productivity by synching your diet, exercise, and time management with your cycle, also know as the infradian rhythm. There are four phases in the menstrual cycle: follicular, ovulatory, luteal, and menstruation. Let’s look at the juicy details of what you should be doing in each phase to maximize the benefits according to Cycle Synching.
Follicular
During the follicular phase your metabolism is slower, and resting cortisol is lower. Because of this you need less calories during this phase. For exercise Vitti recommends cardio and high intensity interval training, because in this phase your body is able to use your glucose stores for energy, fat during, and building lean muscle without disrupting blood sugar or increasing cortisol. If that were to happen it would trigger inflammation and fat gain.
A key supplement in this phase in CoQ10 because it helps support ovarian health, ovarian response, and healthy eggs. Research suggests that CoQ10 can help boost ovarian response and embryo quality for conception, and is associated with better outcomes for IVF pregnancies.
Ovulatory
In the ovulatory phase the metabolism and cortisol function are the same as in the follicular phase. Your testosterone will also be high and you will have more energy, so cardio exercises are encouraged, and you’re more likely to enjoy them. For diet, Vitti recommends cruciferous vegetables, these are your broccoli, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts etc. These crunchy friends will help you flush out excess estrogen, the culprit for your PMS symptoms (like sore breast and acne). To avoid PMS symptoms the goal is to have the right balance os estrogen and progesterone hormones, unfortunately estrogen dominance is extremely common, making period people think that PMS symptoms are just supposed to be that way.
Luteal
During the luteal and phase, your metabolism is faster and resting cortisol levels are, you guessed it, higher. So you need more calories, 250 to 350 more, give or take. This is no surprise to many folks out there who know how real the constant hunger pangs close to your period get. Load up on complex carbs - veggies! - to keep blood sugar level and that the hunger at bay. What if you don't want to increase calories? Aside from the insane hunger, you’ll actually turn on fat storage. If this isn’t something you want to do then better get to snackin’! For exercise, keep it simple with strength training, pilates or yoga. No high intensity stuff here.
Menstrual
During the menstrual phase, your hormone levels drop to their lowest. To support your body and hormones through the menstrual phase you need adequate calories, while paying special attention to getting enough iron, protein, and healthy fat. Keep your workouts gentle and restorative, light yoga or walking will do the trick. Some seafood or seaweed will also help replenish mineral levels in the body during the flow show.
For supplements, toss back some quercetin, the miracle antioxidant. Studies show it helps reduce cramps and it may inhibit growth of endometrial tissue for people with endometriosis. We already know from an earlier post here, that quercerin has extensive healing properties, and you can get a good dose of it from those tasty lil flower buds, capers. With the menstrual cycle in mind, a study shows quercetin may even reduce symptoms of PCOS.
If you weren’t already thinking about which phase of your cycle you’re in while reading this, you are now, no?