And so there's many reasons why an Arctic can become a mentor Eric and blue energy availability and not consuming enough food are my children and load over training or an increase in training volume. That's quite common with see that and get a lot of questions in around that and travel and across time zones as well and lifestyle factors stress for psychological stress and weight loss and weight gain and then obviously the use of hormonal contraception. So but it's you know, We're massive Advocates. That know period is an issue. Hello and welcome to episode number 46. I'll forfeit sake this week. I'm joined by FIFA once again. Hello, and we're also joined by Nev Malin Nev. How you doing? Neves background is sports Scientist by trade Nev same as myself and Roads. Yeah. Absolutely. I'm currently working with Oracle in specifically Federal woman and look at Innovations to have science driven solutions to help optimize athlete. Commence, but fitter woman specifically do with female athletes. Yeah. Absolutely. I couldn't rockhead upset but a motor and fought before you crack into it FIFA and crack how you get none be enrolled usually do this. So it's probably good to have a little magic Force crack. Yeah. Yeah. Come on. Let's go I put on my ski layer don't gonna get skiing this year, but I plan on my ski layer in preparation for sitting in 34. It's called pretty Juliet and get is called. Obviously. I'm very much looking forward to having roads back. Until you and he's I think he's we're recording this. Unfortunately a few days after the World Cup exit. So he's back. He think he could be back in the country as we speak. So looking forward to having a back in here and everyone's kind of been missing him and looking forward to catching up obviously not the way the guys wanted things to work out. But I'm sure he had an incredible experience not a huge value to the group and is looking forward to bringing all these Turnpike tolls I imagine so I'm looking forward to his presentation on the earnings from the Irish team for the FST. It's gonna be good. It's gonna be good. Okay. Anyway enough about roads, we always talk about roads. Leave, how are you doing? Yeah, good. I think it's Grace all super. Thanks for coming all the way down to your base in Galway. Yeah Argos offices. There's one in London LA and yeah, I'm based in golly. Okay, very good and you can always double in just to see us. So we've been trying to put this podcast together for a long time and it's coming from we send out sort of questionnaires stand and look for feedback on the podcast and this is an area that's very interesting to people. So what I'm not just talking about our female members, it's something that will be put up questions and Instagram. Our guys were coming back who've got questions from their Partners their girlfriends their daughters, whatever it might be. So like what we're going to talk about today is the effect of the menstrual cycle on training on nutrition habits aren't specifically on performance, which is what you're working on right now with fitter woman. And is there anything that you can kind of say about the app and the technology are trying to develop at the minute and yes, I suppose and one of the minions of the app is probably opening up the conversation and I suppose he meant recycle. Has been seen as a to be a taboo subject and for a long time and and I suppose we have said a woman want to try and open up the conversation and I athletes, you know to get the best from the body on any day regardless of if they're during their period and the lead up to the period or and what any time Point throughout the natural cycle. Okay, fantastic and obviously it's something several roads have been trying to like we talked about this I'd say when we when we set up the podcast just over a year ago and like you said, there was no one willing to really have that conversation with us. Became it was very difficult in our own circles to try and find somebody who come in and be willing to start this conversation. And so it's great to see that. You know, this is it things are moving in the right direction for female athletes. I think you're obviously from a sport Science Background. We will learn a lot of research when we were in college on the female. Athlete Triad. Yeah, and you know the impact that that has but that's very Niche that's specific to endurance Runners and the dysfunction dysfunctional period and how you can how we can have a negative effect on health and performance. So it isn't something that you see even for UFO with with clients administer something that's just much easier to discuss a kind of like a gym floor level are people more open to have conversations about it. Yeah, absolutely. Well in the run-up to this when we knew when I we had the date set for this and when it was happening, I think all of my female PT clients I've said so we're doing a podcast about periods Johnny questions. Great. Yeah great and everyone's got a different obviously a very personal experience on us and they've somewhere like, okay cool. Great. No, I'm fine. It doesn't really affect me much or Oklahoma. Wow amazing. Or is that it's someone else last week and she said oh, yeah, I always hear like testing week always my period always fell on testing because I never tested those members will understand what I mean by that in the testing of come every four or eight weeks said, yeah just do it. We'll talk with that more specific because that's the pride inside. Yeah. I'm really interested pygmies rain that to like the experience that I would have as a male culture in the industry for the last seven years is luckily over the last few years women have been very comfortable discussing their period and and the effect that it has on them when they do come into the gym and that that's great. That's a step forward because even seven years ago. No one would come and say that to us. So I assume that comes with trust over time. We've built relationships with clients. They're okay to discuss these things with us, but now even newer clients. We haven't in the gym, there are far more open to discuss what stage they're at in their cycle and how they're feeling. So I suppose what we really want to dig into today. What you need is the different stages throughout the cycle and what people should expect whether it's a decrease through hormonal balance and performance whether it's an increase in Cravings are It's the food that the common things that are discussed. So and if we're to start the testing point is a really good example and you know, so like we test our clients on eight eight weeks rank blocks. We text test them at week 4 and week 8 so your comment. I know who said that I'm not going to call you out on air but like I've heard loads of people say that or how can I test when I have my period I'm going to I'm going to be weaker because there's there's popular podcast out there where this this information was shared was before some guy has podcast He said it's the James Smith podcast. That's the podcast podcast. Okay, and you know great podcast puts out a lot of Regal content, but that's come back to us as coaches, you know over a year ago saying, well, you know, I can never reach my Max figures during my period is this true Nev in your experience? What where's the researchers probably are the kickoff and your menstrual cycle is driven by to me and hormones and estradiol origin and progesterone and may fluctuate over the course of your cycle. And so we're Federal. I've broken the cycle into four main phases are fears one their menstruation phase two days. After menstruation fee is three m is in around ovulation and then four years for is the days leading into your next period And so sort of based on these four phases and the hormones sort of fluctuate continuously and we try and look at it more objectively. Obviously your menstrual cycle. There is a blade and a lot of women. Sorry women are meals, you know, Think it's very gross topic to talk about but if we look at it more objectively and say that is all it is. It's a cycle of hormones continuously fluctuating how we going to work with it. And that's probably the best place to start and so in terms of your talking there about and strength training and what was the question again. Sorry, you said about do a testing so it's a lot of a lot of women would come and say if their period Falls I'm testing require max strength is the outcome. They'd be reluctant to test or they'd have a I could never be at my best during that. It so first part of the poem. Yeah, so I suppose that so that's man. She should not be fears one. And so that's when a surgeon and progesterone and are probably at the lowest and on at that point. Then females will be able to access glycogen and more readily and which means and that they're able to push harder and in sessions and because glycogen is more or available. So we would recommend and the app that you know, females focus on sort of high intensity strength based work at that time. And so I would go back to your client and say test away because that's probably a good time to do so potentially the exact opposite to what a lot of us might think it's the testing of I feel crap. I feel a bit crampy. I just don't feel great. You know, I don't think one of it day too, but we're really get out there and do it. There's no doubt about it. You probably will feel knock. It and but once you actually get through that and you get into the gym and you should be able to push hard and I'm hit the scores. I think that's really interesting because like let's put the elephant it over here. I can't discuss from experience only from experience at the women in my life and all the members that I work with, but I can't imagine what it feels like when you have your period I can imagine it's you know, it's the first couple days. You don't feel great your mood changes. You might want to go to the gym. You just like his ultimate. It's just that feeling so It does the knowledge that hang on. I actually can like physiologically be at my best here. Is that like how would that affect you even if you knew like now that you know that I didn't know that coming in here if you knew okay, I actually can Peak here. There's a potential reader Peak. Is it still the mental hurdle? Like do you just have some kind of a trick to save yourself? Look let's get in there and go it's her some people something listen just might be like, yeah, that's very easy to say. Yeah. I'm I'm I particularly have a heavy period first other people, you know. Well, how's that going to sing to you? When one of the girls who's Member for years and years and years replied to me reply to my message when I put up a story last week. I said hey girls this is happening or guys. What questions do you want to school starts tonsured and when the girls at oh my God amazing. I'm absolutely like cramped and wrapped up at home for three four days with it. And I have I'd I know she's tough. She's met me before and said I've got really bad cramps. I can't get to class this evening, but everyone's got such a different experience of it and everyone's got such a different experience of training themselves and how much testing they've done. That's so contextual for the individual but I suppose it does come in. In a little bit like the way if you go into testing for your 3rm on testing week and you know, like at the moment sonar week before that they're doing force and then they go to three some testing week. So if you know for argument second week for they've done a certain number. Yeah, you're not feeling a strong. Look. I know I did this last week. This is in me. Like I go one rep at a time. I get it and I stick to my good for my do it. So it's a little bit of that. I've got this I can do this. It's a little very helpful to know that much I think and have that secret sort of not this is going to work for me. This is not going to be shitty for me. This is going to work for me. I think so a little bit. Yeah. Think you can really use that. Yeah, I think we are supposedly one of the men and ideas behind the app was to empower women and they look, you know, they log into the app and they can see that you know, okay. This is how I should be feeling but this is what I can do, you know, there's always something you can do and that empowers them to get out there and move and I'm feeling better increase, you know, if you can actually size at all during that time will increase, you know, the release of endorphins it get, you know, feeling more positive increase your mood. And just ultimately make you feel better. So that was that was a real one of the main ideas behind the app ID and that's it's incredible because you talk about just getting into the gym and starting and I think most ladies and all that you work with they come in and the silica I have my period. I'm not sure I'm going to do my best within five minutes it once they start They're laughing. They're joking their training hard. If you wouldn't have a clue, you know, where's it's if you look at it this way you go. Well, hang on. I actually can't physiologically perform here, right? There's a mental barrier might be a discomfort or pain barrier and if that's the case completely understandable that you know you either It might take a little bit longer during that first menstruation phase to build up, you know, the Comfort go in and train but like if you can get in and just start dot but physiologically you can't perform. I think that's good that's huge for a lot of people because that's something that I definitely wouldn't have known and so anyone who comes in and says I'm on my period I can't lift this heavy. I can't say well, hang on a second. You told me you can't on put that weight on the bar and let's go. So sorry about that everybody. We haven't week three its tired. Yeah. Okay. So what happens next time so that's so yes. And so then as you move into phase two, and these are the days following on from your period. This is probably the the most beneficial for use in terms of training. So your adoption to training this time is probably at its highest and so each region is raisin, but progestin still remain and low so adoption to high intensity and strength training and as out its peak as estrogen is hey, yeah, it is an anabolic effect on muscle therefore a must Couple years greater following muscle breakdown as a result of exercise. Okay, which means that your adoption will be great at this time, though, despite the benefits you can gain at this time and its region does tend to decrease pool collagen synthesis, which can increase ligament laxity. Okay, which can then obviously make females more susceptible to certain types of injury. We're not saying that you're going to get injured. Yeah, and but they are more susceptible. Also, we will sort of recommend a real Progressive warm up and I may be consuming some sort of collagen supplement this time to try and combat the effects of that. What could that be a collagen supplement? What does that look like? And yeah, so it's something very simple go to the supermarket and buy some gelatin and preferably bovine gelatin and mix it up with some vitamin C and vitamin C contains exotic acid which helps to helps you to probably to absorb the collagen and a lot better mix it up. Stick it in the fridge. Emma make some jelly. And so if I buy kids jelly. Oh my is that what we're going to look and not specifically? Okay. Next time you bring in jelly babies probably steer clear. It just a simple sort of tap we would recommend is to just two. Breathe into your routine. There are three things that are really interesting. That one is it's coming back to that empowering. Is that like, you know, okay. This is the phase that I mean, this is what I do. This is what I need to do like it's taking ownership of because I find a lot of people period happens to them. Yeah, right. So this is something that does confuse me. Please people don't kill me when I say this but like for the women I speak to when it comes to training I speak to the same women a lot and I tell them the same things as you should know. This is going to happen at this stage. Okay? No, but it's the same conversations. Where as if If you use something like the app where you know, you're taking ownership of it your period is something that happens to you. This isn't happening to you. This is a process is something that all I own now, when you take ownership of it, you know, you can be in control of what happens to you at that time. I just think that that's really important and that that's one of the great things about the app. Yeah, I think like it's an advantage the females have before meals. They communicated through Trina the Hill Country at certain points of their cycle. And so that's what the apps all about empowering women to sort of get the passion themselves and be Proactive rather than reactive. Okay. I think the other things that are really interesting in that second phase is obviously better adaptation to training is huge. But I think either you're probably a great example for for example, if laxity is higher at certain periods. Again, sorry if Black Sea is higher at certain times throughout the cycle things, like deep squats like a party or Olympic lifting, you know, a lot of deep squats overhead squats that might be something you could look to avoid during that period that that be very practical implementation of the research. Absolutely and I think when you dream job at wait Lifting weights up to me then I immediately think oh, there's so many younger girls getting into weightlifting. Yeah, and there's so many obviously in here at we're hitting a certain age group. Typically. Our members are certain age group. When you look at Sports in the greater context and a lot of our females in your are doing in other sports as well and women coming into sport. I thought younger age you could potentially have your first match. You could have your first competition you got your period that day on your suddenly like a lots about experience and I can't maybe can't talk to someone about it there. So it must have lie like Is worth talking about just from the point of view of will walk training makes sense at this time doesn't make sense to your competition. Does it make sense to do deep squats that time does it and so yeah things like just what exercise my doing but also really like it from a broader training going to do what makes sense to do during that time or not. Yeah, that was a little bit of a second tangent off there. So I like it. I just worry about your deep squats. That's all I saw you die squatting this more you don't train that often because you had it you tell everyone you train like at Throwing my weight lifting we see you train once a month. It's a treat. It's pizzi train. She used a treat for me. She's a sweet. Yeah. All right, so then roll into the third phase. Yeah, and then in the face three, I suppose and high usage in throughout history. Yeah to cause your body and see if glycogen stores and use fat as a few and this time. Okay. Yeah, this is random variation. And so and fathers are more effective and energy source as opposed to glycogen. And so you me females are may be more prone to be able to sustain longer endurance efforts. Yes time as opposed to you know, high-intensity sort of strength this work. And so yeah, so this would be the time for endurance because work. Yeah during three throughout history. Type of gesture levels and around this time means that you know, it is the opposite effect to hydrogen so it would be more catabolic which means it promote muscle breakdown. Are there for Recovery is compromised massively at this time and your ability to maintain muscle mass. So if you had if going back to the strength training and testing if you're in that phase 3 and it's testing is it a go do your testing? Be realistic being sort of set maybe a more manageable expectation on it rather than Phase 1 real thing and let's go for this. We've got it. Everything is working for me at this point or is it a case of you can still perform but because you're not more catabolic State your recovery just has to take precedence during that period I tell you that grind that period of recovery is massive and whether that be from whatever recovery modalities use and more from a nutritional standpoint. Yeah, you know getting your poutine in your Eddie to 60 Minutes post exercise and then you're you know continuous protein throughout the course of the day and but recovery should take precedence. Absolutely at this time. I'm just kind of curious I would probably talk about your own experience in sports up to your playing intercom DiCamillo Gigi. It's a minute. Yeah and like for you does this tie in just before we get into the four-part. Does this tie in with you for your own personal training sojourn week one you're looking at right heavy strength I'm going to do is find intensity training stuff that's got huge carbohydrate in mind because I can utilize that carbohydrate very effectively. Phase 2 and no 3 p is to you probably Focus heavy on that as well. Okay? Yeah, okay and obviously just being cautious of the the downsides with the agrees laxity maybe looking at your collagen supplement or whatever else. Yeah, and then in Phase 3, which is that where you look at more because especially for a corgi huge amount of you know, steady steady state activity for longer endurance words, would you look at that period to say like this is a really good time for me to hammer. My steady state exercise. Yeah, that's a massive opportunity and you know to try and improve your Probably your endurance capacity and obviously, you know more lower intensity exercise at that time and but again recovery is a massive focus and if fat loss is a goal of somebody's is that a very good time to try and very efficiently utilize fat as a fuel. Would that be at home where you can get more bang for buck from, you know, you could you could you could catalyze more fat much quicker during that period yeah. Okay, right so onto the fourth phase. Yes, so this is obviously the fears where everybody feels rubbish and doesn't really want to protect Exercise so all types of exercise or training at this time, you know, it's seen as beneficial and we were sort of suggest some sort of yoga pilates something more relaxing and but just get your body moving and exercise at this feels, you know can increase the release of endorphins, you know, increase piloted every mood and and just probably try and yeah as I say just get him moving at this time and sleeps another issue at this time. Okay, and so it can be disrupted and protected as the hormones for am going to decline And progesterone and you know, your quality of seeps affected and and you knew your ability to fall asleep. So putting in practice, you know good sort of sleep hygiene routines and it is a big thing at this time as well and but exercise in any capacity and fears for and we would you recommend. Is there anything that you would recommend not doing or is it just come very much don't like evil say that personal preference. Yeah, obviously like the menstrual cycle and people, you know experience it extremely differently and so whatever. In sort of deal with yourself and your own capacity and go for it, but exercise in any form. She definitely benefit you what about your own practical experience with this like how we've given a research we've given this, you know, I don't like I'm I've learned two things today that I didn't know. I'm sure there's people listener going to be the same. How easy is it to practically apply this water day because I just I'm aware that people listen to podcasts when we talk about, you know, implementing the knowledge. It can be very difficult in the real world. So like what's your experience of like is it just down to have a really good system really good routine. What's it like for you as an Intercounty? Come only player? Yeah. Well, I'm not going to tell you any lies from a training perspective. It's not easy because we're in a team environment. Everybody's obviously on their own cycle and work from nutrition standpoint. Absolutely. That's something you can take ownership of so, I would really implement the nutrition strategies that we sort of recommend the app whether that be you know fears one menstruation. Iron lost therefore you need to try and increase your iron stores or increase your sources of iron in your diet three red meat spinach whatever it may be alongside some vitamin C and to sort of, you know, get the maximum out of absorption at that time. As I said top of the collagen supplement to the gelatin and Phase 2 and then a few as three and obviously recovery and should be priority. You're increasing your protein intake, you know, consuming sort of insulin sensitivity and instant. N7 sensitivity is sort of reduced the stage. So you're sort of want to consume sort of and complex carbohydrates snack slow-release carbohydrates to slowly sugar into the bloodstream. So I'm sort of take that on board and then fears for and inflammation be quite high. So trying to combat that with a lot of antioxidants through your berries and through your recovery smoothies, whatever it may be and I'll definitely am sort of so I would take a Also have ownership with my nutrition and as I said training and Physiology, it's difficult to do in a team environment and but as much as I can in terms of my own gym work, I would incorporate it. But on the pitch you just sort of have to align with what you're told. I think what's really interesting that as well as it creates, like for small Windows like nutrition is we'd be very much on have a base nutrition and like every knows the challenges in committing to something long term in terms of creation. This actually creates a little bit of Variety where there's a slightly different Focus or say each week so like that can actually if if you're focusing on one thing so okay. It's a routine of right my jellies or whatever whatever it might be Barry's a lot more berries and say week for whatever you want to go with that that can help reinforce. So many other really good nutrition habits and being a positive lifestyle lifestyle habits. So by taking ownership of this one area, which like we said some people feel like there's something happens to them if they take ownership of this one area. We can tweak it can really Force a whole a whole host of really positive physiological and just physical behaviors that allow women to be healthier, but also perform better in an exercise or performance setting. Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. It really does. I think I was saying to you in when we start talking about this and I got an audiobook which is regular book as well called period power which is a lot more around it's not true. It's not training. It's not performs of knots work Focus. It's just as use that it's not about your period happening to you or that your Or the whole cycle, it's something that happens within your body. It's natural and it's yours and it's very individual and and that the focus in that really is like learn it use it know how yours affect you in every day and I'm thinking to kind of combine something she recommended in that which is to literally every day at an absolute minimum just write down like a word that describes how you're feeling. I think something that's then going to affect your training. Of course. We can't just go trading one side emotions and Rest your life elsewhere. So if you write down, even if it's just one word and then you might start to see Trends as to how that's what's happening. We can week and month or month and then use that as well to tie in with what you're learning from. Yeah in the app itself. We have a calendar section we can sort of log your symptoms and you can log notes. Yeah, that's a very simple way of doing that just literally everywhere every day every week. Whatever it is log note log your symptoms and you can see patterns and begin to you know, add develop and then If you're putting in place the recommendations to see if that sort of helping long-term. Okay, and then obviously from some people have are buying on 28 day cycle or the slightly longer other slightly shorter. How is how do I suppose how does the app tie in with that or what's the best way for someone who has a cycle which isn't 28 days and may not have a week-long one a week-long phase for each. What's the best approach for someone who wants to use the app but maybe is on a slightly longer cycle? Yeah. Still get us through that and it takes roughly three cycles and for you to log and before it sort of regulates to your you know to your own psycho. Okay? I'm so the more you use the app and the more sort of comfortable it becomes with your cycle and the more accurate. It becomes essentially great hands on those the hormone fluctuations you're talking about are they obviously I presume given that everything is a generalization or at least the average is 10. Laughs this from all the research of obviously hundreds and hundreds of thousands women if that's something that's very different among individuals that they might learn that actually that one's I'm a day I had on that one armored a mine usually kicks in earlier on that in terms of hormones. Yeah, and or is that again what the app takes into account on it read it? Yeah. Yeah based on the feedback that you are giving us ya know the app will account for all that and then based on that will give you your it will calculate the fuses for you and then and give you your M cycle length m in the app. And so the more you use it the more comfortable comes with you like obviously another area to look at here is like say it dysfunctional period where the cycle you know, you're saying that there's there's slight irregularities from the norm but that's still quite regular. So if it's a 24-day or 30-day period like it doesn't come across which we're like What watching women look to do if they have a seriously dysfunctional periods. Like what symptoms are what science should they look out for? Yeah, so obviously no period at all is a red flag. And so amenorrhea it's sort of the absence of a period and for 90 days or more. Okay, that's sort of secondary amenorrhea and then you've got primary aim area which is sort of No period before the age of 16 or so, there are two types of and amenorrhea and so there's many reasons why and I think can become a mentor Eric and low energy availability and not consuming enough food and a match between a node and over training or an increase in training volume. That's quite common with see that and get Questions in our own that and travel and across time zones as well and lifestyle factors stress for psychological stress and weight loss and weight gain and then obviously the use of hormonal contraception. So but it's, you know, where massive Advocates that know period is an issue you must address that so where we sort of always take the line at and a period having a period or a Her period is a Vital sign and of a happy and healthy sort of sort of system. So absolutely what will be the course of action is basically your doctor's right away. And yeah, so obviously make sure the athlete aware of the applications, you know that first and foremost and sure the athlete, you know was aware of the nutritional requirements in relation to the trailer and load. So are they consuming enough food to master trainer and encourage regular Fuel and and don't have large gaps between meals. Tend to do that go to end in the morning or maybe eat gold chain in the morning. Maybe don't eat again Trend in the evening and then eat again, and they're not much in their energy requirements whatsoever. And so you want to monitor your training load as well and increases should be Progressive. You don't want to just go from maybe training once a week the movie Training five six times a week. Your body will be able to cook without at all and then obviously seek advice from your medical, you know, practitioner and a check for any underlying sort of And medical or health concerns, but I think it's important, you know from a coach's perspective and a parent's perspective and on the athlete themselves of the mature enough, you know to sort of understand the implications in the performance implications. So they will have a decreased responses response, you know, dear train and Terminus and the Redeemer revered it delayed recovery and I'm suppose like more from a health side of things purple and health and off the back of that and low energy Ability, which will all contribute them to increase injury risk, which means trainers data lost which means in the overall decline of performance. I couldn't have heard that summed up any way better. And I think that's I think that's just really highlights the importance of and something you're talking about is stress. So obviously we're talking very specifically about athletes we would treat anyone who trains here as an athlete. They're serious Fitness enthusiasts in our oh, he's a funny one trains, you know once a week, but it's very committed to that session. And I think the impact of stress and other factors outside of just what you do physically I've seen from my experience that I could that can be huge and look what seven rods and we do a lot of our corporate talks. We we sort of use the analogy like stress is stress is stress. Your body doesn't know whether you're stressed because you know, you're waiting for payday to come up you've got bills to pay or if you just run a marathon your central nervous system feels stressed now locally muscles it feel different things, but you just feel stressed and you know, your body doesn't recognize these sometimes so If you're putting a huge one is stress by not much nutrition consumption with what your training load is if you're emotionally stressed, if you're not sleeping all these things add up, you know, that's going to be the Red Flag straight away. Yeah, absolutely and I suppose that's a massive sort of from a coach's, you know from a coach is standpoint that we sort of we want them to sort of identify these issues and and we've actually just, you know launched and not long ago around the Apple Time, Mr. Federal coach platform. So which is sort of where coaches have access and to their team's Federal improvements on a dashboard and where they can sort of see where each other it is. And which videos are in and what symptoms are logging in real-time and and if they're not logging and a cycle at all again as a red flag and this can allow the coach to probably, you know, put in place like proactive sort of recommendations. Therefore their athletes tell them to get the best out of themselves before we go into aoife got loads of questions saying before we go into those questions. This might be a little bit off the wall here. But if with that coach platform, is that something at a higher performance level to say Intercounty Emoji or football. Is there something a coach could look to do to manipulate Cycles? So what a coach it is create create a huge ethical issue or is it something that a team my by interfere and say okay. We want to try get everybody's cycle aligned so we can take advantage of these natural adaptation. Are happening a certain certain times. Is that something is that something that you've heard of obviously when you're create this platform probably getting feedback from coaches. There's a lot goes in is that something that you could see happen at some stage online or is that completely unethical out the wall not if I'm coaching. I've I'm gonna coach I want to win. Okay, and I'm I'm here a lot of positive aspects to what we could do here. So if I was a coach at at in the county level, you know, I'm wondering I don't know if I have to I can do this but is that something that's ever come up in conversation our competition data sets. No, that's six months out of right? Why do we have to yeah, so you're at a good face for on that day. That's it. Absolutely. So actually at this year's World Cup Women's World Cup and the US Women's National Team animals. Yeah for record yea high performance coach Dan Scott bought into the whole menstrual cycle gotten talk contact with their shells that fit a woman and when they utilize the federal code platform, so there you go and what they utilize the platform. Yeah, but necessarily put all their menstrual cycles if you don't know that She could be going there. Yeah, so they sort of manipulate a different sort of aspects. We don't know to what extent exactly that's just going to be going to keep that information live in an imaginary culture benefits. But absolutely I think down the line that's something that and there's more and more teams and sports are getting involved on the platform and which is fantastic to see and it's fantastic to see the buy-in from both coaches and athletes and in this area, which is something that I can only see expanded over the next it's very exciting and imagine for ue4 with When you have competition is called Big competition coming up in the next few weeks Freeport free plug competition in Turkey in three weeks 14th ish of November. It is a decent level International competition is called a silver level. Okay, come over the word. So usually for Olympics you can only Pure Country qualifies and earn spots. Based on your European or Pan Am or Asian and and your world positions, but they've created these new competitions which you your nation can use to help you earn those spots. Okay, that makes sense those that this is one of those competitions this competition is very close to the turkey and Syrian border. So what I diplomatic immunity go and sort things out before we got into the turkey. Syrians in politics there. Like would you look at using utilizing something like this and say right. I've got a competition x daesh, you know use ways to regulate your period to Peak during those times. Is that something you would consider doing now that you have this information that you might not had before and I absolutely would I'll give you the slightly. I won't go too long on this but one saying I was reading that book period now where I currently I'm on the pill so I don't effectively get a period you can I get a withdrawal bleed? Yeah, so I don't take the pills for seven days. I get a withdrawal bleed. I know. Buying on practically to the hour when that's going to happen based on when I took my last bill, but from reading the book and you're saying this is really an advantage that women have over man. I'm almost getting genuine period fomo because all these things you can do to improve your life and that you can use it on that. I'd be having a natural cycle rather than just hormone hormone hormone. No woman for seven days horrible hormone. How one know and can you doing it that way and it's worked for me. I know a lot of people a lot of friends who have said no kind of Oh near the near the pill in there Worth age makes me crazy. How do you just doesn't work for them for me? It's always worked on it's fine and what I am now starting to think well, well, I maybe I maybe I'll just give it a go and see see how I get on. Yeah, and so there are there definitely are benefits to it. Like you can have a light modulator period and with the pill whereas previous for me. It was really heavy. I was much younger the time there. Maybe I'm fine with that made my vote is not bodies massively changed. Anyway. Yeah. So now that I'm learning so much more about us. I'm definitely thinking there's a lot of benefits here. Yeah. At least thinking it that way to be asked it creates a conversational. Yeah, when he makes you think a different way about like that's that's gonna be really exciting time for I'm sure any for you. It's so exciting that like the Forefront of the research in the technology here to see people having these conversations to see, you know, someone like you who's who's trained as an athlete and much different disciplines at different levels for years to even you know, someone who's very experienced like even in her field to be rethinking things that must be very exciting for you guys. Absolutely like as I said, maybe one To five years ago, they're sort of topic was still a massive to be and I'm just stripping it back and open it up. The conversation is something we want to do and and providing you with the latest evidence-based research and I'm sort of information in a broken-down manageable way and is only going to Empire more and more females out there to open up the conversation and just becomes normal and both in a health perspective but in a sporting environment as well, so speaking of questions, either you put this up on Instagram. I think you're looking for your Students have some questions. Okay. Yeah, that's sort of what no pressure. No, Nev. Just gone to your head. Let's go if I'm taking painkillers for cramps. Yeah. Can I still then do strength training? So taking some of the paint goes into account the fact that someone's got really bad cramps. Is it still a good idea to then do strength training? Well, I assume if you're taking the painkillers for cramps, this is in and around these four and or maybe during your period therefore as I said earlier exercise in any capacity and it is good. And it releases endorphins and increases your mood increases your positivity and just generally makes you feel better. Obviously, we would sort of suggest and from a nutritional standpoint and we wouldn't say because you're experiencing, you know, a lot of information at this time increase your antioxidant intake, but obviously at the inflammatories are a necessity of certain times. So yeah, there's no reason why you shouldn't strike three and there's no white reason why you shouldn't train at all. The only caveat for that's probably the dosage of the painkillers depending on certain days painkillers hat will have different effects drowsy non-drowsy. I know this sounds basic but certain people might have a certain medication that works when it comes to cramps things like famine Ox older products where I don't know if you okay. Yeah, but no these are products. They might have different effects on how you might feel increased nausea those kind of things. So it probably is important to I would imagine the pain killer need to be as generic as possible and avoid those kind of side effects. I'm basing everything else. You've said potentially think get to know well what class works for me or well, I guess training works for me on what day usually I go to the evening class. I know if I get into that morning class instead that I'm going to feel a hell of a lot better for the day today because I've got those endorphins in the morning. He loved us. So maybe it makes more sense to know that you're going to book a book that class in advance. Get out of the game. Yeah taking ownership ownership are the Cravings real or emotional real for sure. Yeah, and so they often occur around. Fee is three and four and when a surgeon and progestin our height and are short in Phase 3 when a suggestion or high and then V is for when a gingerbread progestin decline the build up to your period so and the primary cause said to be related to changes in insulin sensitivity and energy requirements and appetite and sojourn fee is three High hormone levels affect glucose metabolism and transportation and leading to a decrease in insulin sensitivity and which may result in unstable blood sugar. Cause an energy dips and an increase in women Cravens am an appetite high-level suggestion may also cause a small increase and basal metabolic rate and during phase 3, which can cause your appetite and to increase. Okay. So basically your body your body's going to use more energy to do what you usually do. So you're going to want more food. So you're going to create more things. Yeah. Okay, and there's a particularly is because of the instant 70 sensitivity aspect of particularly makes I don't have the Cravings but chocolate seems to be kind of the chocolate more Kyra based food. Carbohydrate carbohydrate these Foods absolutely would be more okay, but also from a practical point of view again when you're doing the little or the Al D sharp and you know that weeks coming up get the stuff that you know is going to be good and useful during that time rather than run into Center and buying all of ya whipping up some nice healthy treats. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, so like selected as I sort of mentioned and sort of some sort of Snoop slow-release are carbohydrates. Snacks hummus with Vege rice cakes and nut Butters, you know things that we potato brownies. I'm going to go I think they're going to add a lot more value now than that's yeah. I just found it on as well. And as well if you'll bring them in for the coaches when you're you know at that stage like we be happy enough to potato brownies for the lads on the what's going down. We can have a chat about. All right? Yeah. Okay. There are there's a few questions on girls. Hopefully your questions have been answered around. With training should I do this kind of training Shield? I am when I have my period what should I do or not? Yeah. It was on a question on that. I think most of those guys. Can I ask my something I was going through my mind when you're explaining the phases was on I sort of gave you a summary earlier of the kind of classes we have or maybe someone doing similar type of training where they've got strength glasses. Yeah. Well, they got strength training and they got more Rogue Based training. Yeah, and really what makes most sense to do is stick with your usual schedule. I like him like that week where you need the extra recovery know you need the extra recovery. Get to stick through usual schedule. Just know what your body needs more of at the time really, isn't it? Yeah, it's the it's the real thing to confidently do with your training. Okay, and one of the thing that did come up in the questions and which I think a lot of our first members might be interested in certainly coach is is our whoop bands and our heart. What are we getting money from Mars right by the way? Okay. Okay. We're not gonna give us any money. Okay? Well there myself but like not allowed to like that. Yeah, we have a T we have a team set up. Yeah. So today Rory I congratulated me on my recovery yesterday. Yeah, and it was to join our team. I believe it's better faster stronger on whoop. Is this? Yeah. Okay. Can anyone join could be coaches only let's just I'm not the admin of the team selected automatically email. Okay. Yeah, why the week leading up to my period my heart rate variability is much lower. Why? Is this and we were kind of talking about this before and saying that heart rate variability is something that we and a lot of members are now much more conscious of members are learning more about it, which is brilliant that they're learning something that actually in sports science. You might study or look into it some point but that there isn't necessarily that much research around at the moment in relation to menstruation. Yeah. So I suppose from a members point of viewer for Schneider. I coaching or cashews are physio that it could be something that we also login. Our app to say well it's done. It's over. Yeah, that's it more into our wealth of information around highlight cycle facts or some what's going on with us. Yeah. Anyway, what do you have you? Well, I would think that based on everything that never said I'd imagine during that phase when you know, your basal metabolic rate is increasing their there's increased demands on your body like just for heart rate variability. I'm going to I'll do my best to sort of explain it the simplest way possible with her if variability what you're looking for is if you take it as your bodies perfectly in tune, so Recovered, you're rested. You're sharp. You're focused. You're hydrated act. Like everything is close to perfect. You should have huge increases in I'm drawing the air above and down that no one can see the graph you should have huge increases in the variability of your heart rate throughout the day throughout the minute throughout throughout the hour. So the way I would look at it as if someone was to jump out and scare the crap out of me. My heart rate should boom Spike as high as it can as quick as possible then if I was to engage in a deep breathing exercise like 7-Eleven breathing or box breathing. I should be able to bring that back down really quickly. To a much Lower State than it was naturally. So I should get these huge graphs because I'm very responsive to different stimuli throughout the day now if I'm perpetually stressed and I'm run down. I'm not I'm not hydrating attrition is poor my sleep quality for my heart rate variability would be very low because my response to different stimuli won't be as high throughout the day. So some jump scares me. I'm already at a fairly high heart rate level. It's not going to jump that high my adaptation to things like deep breathing or to try and recover. I'm so kind of perpetually stress to that level. No matter how much I engage deep breathing meditation. My heart rate won't drop as quickly. So like that's sort of says that a good good good. Well someone else something. Okay. That's all I got. That's that's what Harvey's like all use the whoop band for a couple of things. I've used like game Samsung bands before I've used with the sleep tracker on my iPhone of used all those things and I'm not saying even though I want the money from Loop. I'm not saying that you've got you've got to use something like this. It's just about how you use it. So the reason I like it is there's not a watch on us. It's just it's I don't To look at it doesn't strike me. But what it tells me is am I am I getting enough sleep so like and it doesn't just go on the calendar and I set for the sleep it takes account information or my training and everything over and my heart really really over last week and then it recommends how much sleep I should get on a given day for what I have to do tomorrow. So I look at the heart rate variability because I want to perform at work. I want to be Sheriff. I want to be mentally sharp if I Tre and I want to get the best out of station possible from it if I want to relax. I want to relax. I want to enjoy All that time, whereas if my heart were very very low it correlates to how I actually feel and we're very motivated and we're very excited to do things. Not really. So I've got that little metric next to the toast. Your heart rate variability is very low. I'm like, okay that makes sense. Okay. I need to really work on improve my sleep quality and looking at my recovery other things so I can enjoy my life and that's the way I look at is how can I go into work, you know, bring good energy bring a good attitude for be sharp and get what I need to get done done because sometimes you have to fake it like some days you have to come in and hey, Hey, if I it's so good to see you. I'm you know, that that's just yeah. Yeah. Yeah, this is no but like but now genuinely over the last kind of couple of months of using this and really looking at okay, I feel like shit today, right? I can really tell what my heart rate variability is going to be and it lets me know as well. Okay. I'm really peaking at the minute. I can either go to the gym and smush really recession or this might be very good time to have a conversation with someone. This might be very good time to to go golfing or do something that I enjoy because I feel really good. So that's kind of slightly off tangent with heart rate variability. Lee but I think you taking a picture me for from my heart rate variability, so I think that I think that that's why for the person that asked that question during that that stage I think it was week the week before 240p reduce question like your there's increased stress on your body, you know, you're getting ready for a cyclical event that's going to take that's going to it's going to create issues that are bleeding. There's no lack of iron there's all these things are going to happen. So yeah, it makes sense that your heart rate variability is going to be the crease now this click disclaimer not research-based, but But that would be my take on us. Yeah, you like it using your whoop as a male and if at all all that say about us all that you're thinking all those things you're conscious of now you sleep your food your coverage getting getting stress if it's good training stress, but whatever's work stress getting excited about something chilling out. I'm getting a breathing done add into that hormones constantly fluctuating the how much better are we if we know and understand what those hormones are likely to be doing on any given day and week and what that reasonably means for us. And we can say okay thought that makes sense that I feel like I want to cry at that. That's okay feels shit that I want to cry but that like that makes sense. Yeah, I'm just the finally on is it don't let these things on you and I'm going to say that even about the app because like a lot of Roads talked about before on the podcast this worried well concept which is people are looking at their watches now, I'm going oh my God, I was supposed to get eight hours sleep last night. I only got four and then they become more stressed and it creates a more negative cycle. Like it. Don't let it only it just use it as a data point. Point it's an information point that might be you know, like I don't talk about appearance a lot. So if you look in the mirror if your eyes are bloodshot red and you've got bags in your eyes in your eyes or hanging over your head subscribe, that's not normal. You know, that's that's not the way you should look like. I've got this teeny little patch of eczema that creeps up on my have to show the ladies on my wrist if that flares up II know that I might be as well rest as fast but these are all little weird data points that I might have it's very like isolated as but it costs it could actually be from the roof and the strategy could be causing it. But they're all just out of points. Like don't let them own you find a way of implementing them in and I think it's experience and try and things that's really important. So, I don't know. I just think from from everything you disgust me from all the information that I had before you came in. I think that the the Federal might happen. I think it's fantastic thing. I know she made here is using what her clients she started to look at planning for week and eight-week Cycles based on the menstrual cycle. She's gonna do a little bit of research on that in kind of real world application and come back and presented those as a Coaching staff and what we can look to put it in a PT's and like I just think that it's such a great conversation to have and you know for me for me as a male just it's going to increase my ability to coach female so much better and like I just look at athletes as male female doesn't matter but I do it does matter I need to have different information on both of them and see how things apply and I just think what you guys are doing is incredible and I couldn't implore with enough to go download the app. What's what's best place to get free to download are both on the App Store and on Google Play if it's free on Get it. Just play around itself and make pretend period yeah, listen to you. Thank you so much for coming in big effort corner from Galway and best of luck in everything. I don't know what stages of corgis is not write down. I'd imagine it's don't come into winter. Thanks so much. Amy for best of luck in Turkey if you get there over the next few weeks. Yeah. Thanks again Eve tears thinking. Thank you. Nice.
Discussing the Menstrual cycle openly with clients and highlighting the impact that it can have on your performance is something that we have wanted to do on the For Fit Sake Podcast for quite some time. On this week's episode Rory and Aoife are joined by Down Camogie star and Orreco employee Niamh Mallon. Niamh joined the guys to discuss both the positive and... (yes you read that correctly - positive) and negative affects that a period can have on a female athletes performance. Niamh breaks the menstrual cycle into 4 stages and highlights the physiological areas that elicit certain perfromance traits during each phase. The research is very interesting. Niamh discusses the FitrWoman app. FitrWoman helps you track your menstrual cycle and provides personalized training and nutritional suggestions tailored to the changing hormone levels throughout your cycle. ‍ "No matter what your sport and no matter what your goal, FitrWoman takes the guesswork out of training." The software and it's coaching version of the platform raised some questions surrounding ethical implications of seeking superior sports perfromance in female squads. Niamh and Aoife field questions that came in from the masses through our social media channels and there is a little segway into  heart rate variability, an area that is gaining increasing interest,  near the end of the episode. Enjoy! 