#394 Lauren Colenso-Semple: Menstrual Cycle Periodisation: Myths and Misunderstandings

Training female clients often raises a lot of questions for coaches.  

Do the training requirements for female clients differ from those of male clients? What about the menstrual cycle? Should that affect your decisions? Should we design female training programs differently because of it? 

In this episode, Stuart teams up with Lauren Conselo-Semple to address these questions. They delve into the most recent research surrounding training strategies for female clients and athletes. If you need to get up to speed on the latest scientific insights on this subject, this episode is your perfect companion.

Lauren unpacks her latest research examining the impact of hormonal fluctuations on muscle development and performance, and whether the research supports adjusting training to align with the menstrual cycle. Expect to learn about the variability of the menstrual cycle, whether women have a higher injury risk and if they should eat more protein at specific times during their cycle.

This episode is a really comprehensive guide for understanding the current evidence on female physiology and its implications for exercise. If you train female client’s, you don’t want to miss it!

 

Timestamps 

1:50- What is the menstrual cycle?

3:30- What are the different phases of the menstrual cycle?

5:06- Is it important to understand the menstrual cycle?

6:23- What are the effects of the menstrual cycle?

7:10- Why did Lauren want to study the menstrual cycle and training?

10:35- Does the research suggest that the menstrual cycle affects performance and muscle growth?

18:53- What are the effects of the menstrual cycle? Part 2

20:18- Personalising a clients training.

21:57- Nutrition periodisation and menstrual cycle phase.

22:40- Training myths about the menstrual cycle.

24:00- Should men and women train differently?

29:45- How do elite rugby coaches train female athletes?

32:31- Recommend menstrual cycle resources?

Find Out More About Lauren:

• Ig: https://www.instagram.com/laurencs1/

 

Find Out More About LTB:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liftthebar/ 
• Website: https://liftthebar.com/ 
• Free Trial: https://liftthebar.com/free-trial