A beginners guide to Female Health, Hormones and Cycle

The menstrual cycle depicts when a woman is fertile and ready for potential pregnancy. Each cycle is unique to the woman and understanding your own menstrual cycle can help to predict ovulation, menstruation, and symptoms. This lecture will outline each phase of the menstrual cycle and potential symptoms that may occur including normal and abnormal symptomatology.

Birth control (BC), or contraception, is a way to protect against pregnancy. However, BC is often prescribed to women for menstrual irregularities to help “regulate” their cycle. Approximately 64% of women around the world use some form of BC. Despite the popularity, BC doesn’t regulate a cycle and instead uses synthetic hormones to prevent pregnancy. Nevertheless, many women choose to use BC to prevent pregnancy although each BC comes with its own list of pros and cons. This lecture will outline the types of birth control available and some of the side effects.

Menopause occurs in every woman’s life. In this lecture, we cover the basics of the natural menopause, remedies to reduce symptoms and the importance of nutrition.

Relative Energy Deficiency is a prevalent condition that affects many athletes in sport. Specifically, we refer to the RED triad in female athletes that ultimately causes a negative effect on the female cycle and hormone production. FHA refers to Functional Hypothalamic Amenorrhea that may be a condition on its own or part of RED. In this lecture we discuss how RED, and FHA may occur, the impact it has on the body and where to seek advice.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) can be a debilitating condition for many women. It is estimated that 1 in 10 women across the world suffer with PCOS. The exact type of PCOS is often not diagnosed. This lecture overviews the different types of PCOS alongside scientific literature about how PCOS can impact a woman’s psychology and physiology.

The menstrual cycle can affect both digestion and elimination. Many women typically experience constipation, gas, and bloating before their period and then diarrhoea once their cycle begins. These symptoms may be accompanied by heaviness, mood swings, acne, cramping and fatigue at one point or another in their cycle. The first part of this presentation explores the effects of the menstrual cycle on digestion in women who do not use contraception.

The menstrual cycle can affect both digestion and elimination. Many women typically experience constipation, gas, and bloating before their period and then diarrhoea once their cycle begins. The second part of this presentation explores the effects of the menstrual cycle on digestion in women who use contraception. We will also cover the types of fibre that can be affective in relieving some of these symptoms.

Fluctuations in hormones across the menstrual cycle challenge a woman’s physiology. This may also affect training ability across the month. In this lecture, we overview what the scientific literature suggests may happen across the female cycle. We must remember that each cycle is individual, so this data may not apply to every woman.