Exercise and Your Cycle. Facts and Frills with Dr. Alyssa Olenick, PhD

Even if you’re living alone on a tropical island you’ve likely heard the online trend of syncing your menstrual cycle with your exercise.  Is it real? Or just another way to keep women small? I’ve taken my time bringing this conversation to the stage because I had a single woman in mind to bring on the show to discuss it. Dr. Alyssa Olenick has a Ph.D. in exercise physiology and specifically studies the impact of female hormones on training, adaptation and recovery.  We share a vibrant (read: passionately pissed) conversation about the cycle syncing trend and whether you should be changing your exercise each week of your cycle.  Alyssa is one of my favourite female scientists and I was thrilled we could share this conversation together.  What we covered in this episode:  What is “cycle syncing” and what happens through your cycle with respect to exercise.  What the research actually says about hormones and training.  Our thoughts on the commodification of women’s menstrual cycles and how this particular trend might be causing women to move less.    Enjoy the episode, and give Dr. Alyssa Olenick a follow @doclyssfitness   Dr. Alyssa Olenick holds a Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology and is a certified sports nutritionist and Crossfit Level 1 Trainer. Alyssa completed her doctoral training in exercise and post-prandial metabolism. Specifically in the areas of metabolic flexibility, sex differences and menstrual cycle physiology. Alyssa runs her online business ‘Doc Lyss Fitness’ and is a strength athlete, ultra-marathon runner, and all-around fitness lover who is passionate about educating people on science-based fitness to get them into the gyms and on the roads/trails — or often, doing both at the same time! You can learn more about Dr. Alyssa Olenick and her programs at www.doclyssfitness.com