Nutrition & your luteal phase

In the last phase of your cycle, hormonal changes will impact how you feel, how you fuel and how you perform. Below we’ll outline our key tips and advice for how you can best fuel your body during this phase - not only to support your training but also to support your mood and overall well-being.

• Learn how to curb those cravings - in the latter half of your cycle a spike in cortisol can cause serotonin to drop & blood sugar to become less stable, which can lead to energy dips and food cravings. To help combat this try to avoid too many high sugar or processed foods as these can exacerbate cravings. It’s also advisable to try to eat something every 3 hours. Eating fibre-rich foods, as well as those that have a good blend of protein &  complex carbohydrates, can help to increase satiety and reduce cravings. For example; peanut butter on whole grain toast or greek yoghurt topped with a little granola.

• Incorporate lots of good fats - fat is not only a great energy source but also vital for maintaining good hormonal balance and a healthy menstrual cycle. During our luteal phase our bodies rely more on fat for fuel, as well as having a notable impairment in insulin sensitivity; this means opting for plenty of good fats and perhaps a slightly lower carb intake could be warranted. Some examples of these include: half an avocado, two poached eggs, 100 grams of baked salmon or a tablespoon of olive oil.

• Get those B vitamins in - B vitamins are fantastic at regulating hormones and supporting a healthy, regular menstrual cycle. B6 and B12 are the ones to focus on and these can be found in: oats, eggs, bananas, tuna and chicken.



• Avoid fasted training if possible - progesterone peaks during this phase which has been shown to suppress gluconeogenesis, a cellular process necessary to utilise energy stores in the body

For further information, please see:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4772032/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4763493/

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