What are patients seeing on social media about cycle syncing?
- Social media is full of videos claiming that people can “optimize their hormones” by timing your workouts, diet, and even work schedule to their menstrual cycle.
- Influencers often use charts and “hormone hacks” to suggest syncing activities with the follicular, ovulatory, luteal, and menstrual phases will boost metabolism, productivity, and mood. They are often selling expensive programs or promoting unregulated supplements.
- These posts can sound empowering, but many rely on oversimplified or incorrect science about menstrual physiology and hormone variation.
What’s the evidence around cycle syncing?
- There is no clinical or physiological evidence showing that timing workouts, diet, or productivity to menstrual phases improves health, metabolism, or mood.
- Hormonal fluctuations are real and can affect energy, mood, and appetite.
- The variations are complex and individual and research does not support rigid or predictable changes that apply to all people with cycles.
- Cycle syncing charts oversimplify endocrine physiology. They often ignore the variability of cycle length, ovulation timing, and the impact of stress, illness, or contraceptive use.
- Hormonal contraception alters—but doesn’t harm—cycles. Patients using hormonal methods don’t have the same fluctuations, but that doesn’t mean they’re “out of sync” or less healthy.
Citations
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ Committee on Clinical Consensus–Gynecology. General Approaches to Medical Management of Menstrual Suppression: ACOG Clinical Consensus No. 3. Obstet Gynecol. 2022;140(3):528-541. doi:10.1097/AOG.0000000000004899
- Carmichael MA, Thomson RL, Moran LJ, Wycherley TP. The Impact of Menstrual Cycle Phase on Athletes’ Performance: A Narrative Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(4):1667. Published 2021 Feb 9. doi:10.3390/ijerph18041667
- Colenso-Semple LM, D’Souza AC, Elliott-Sale KJ, Phillips SM. Current evidence shows no influence of women’s menstrual cycle phase on acute strength performance or adaptations to resistance exercise training. Front Sports Act Living. 2023;5:1054542. Published 2023 Mar 23. doi:10.3389/fspor.2023.1054542
- McNulty KL, Elliott-Sale KJ, Dolan E, et al. The Effects of Menstrual Cycle Phase on Exercise Performance in Eumenorrheic Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Med. 2020;50(10):1813-1827. doi:10.1007/s40279-020-01319-3
Talking with patients about cycle syncing
Get curious:
If a patient brings up cycle syncing:
I’ve seen some of those videos too—what have you heard about it?
What are you hoping to get out of syncing your workouts or meals?
Acknowledge concerns & normalize:
It makes sense that you’d want to better understand your body and hormones — there’s so much information out there.
Some people prefer to use non-hormonal methods because they like to be connected with their body’s natural rhythm.
Clarify with evidence and empathy:
There’s no strong evidence that cycle syncing changes hormone levels or outcomes, but tracking your symptoms can be a great way to notice patterns that matter to you.
If you’re trying to regulate your cycle or manage symptoms, we can talk more about that and discuss options that can help.
Diving deeper
- Some people express generic concerns about hormonal birth control that may stem from mis/disinformation from influencers promoting menstrual cycle syncing. You can ask about this respectfully, but directly.
- Symptom diaries or apps that log mood, energy, and pain patterns can be helpful for clinical use. But emphasize that “listening to your body” doesn’t require rigid scheduling, expensive programs, or unregulated supplements.
Key takeaways
- “Cycle syncing” is a social media wellness trend, not a medical concept. It can be a self-tracking tool for body awareness, but it’s not a proven way to regulate hormones or improve well-being.
- Hormonal changes throughout the menstrual cycle are real but vary widely among individuals.
- There is no evidence that syncing diet, exercise, or mood tracking to the menstrual cycle improves health outcomes.
- Validate patients’ curiosity and redirect toward body literacy grounded in evidence.
- For patients on hormonal contraception, cycle syncing frameworks don’t apply.
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