What Can Cycle Syncing in Sport Teach Us About Productivity?
When we think of elite athletes like Jessica Ennis or the England women’s football team, we imagine intense workouts, carefully curated training plans, and an unwavering commitment to peak performance. But what if the strategies these athletes use to fine-tune their physical output could be applied to how we work at our desks?
One such approach, cycle syncing, has gained popularity in the sports world. Athletes like Jessica Ennis and the England women’s football squad have embraced cycle syncing to adapt their training schedules to their hormonal cycles. Rather than fighting natural fluctuations in energy and focus, they align their workouts with these changes to train smarter—not harder, optimizing their performance and reducing the risk of burnout or injury.
At Phase, we believe that this same approach can be applied to how we work. In this blog, we’ll explore how professional athletes are adopting cycle syncing methods and what they have learned along the way.
Cycle Syncing: A Game-Changer in Sports—and Beyond
What Is Cycle Syncing?
Cycle syncing involves tailoring your activities—be it training, nutrition, or recovery—to the phases of your menstrual cycle. For women, hormonal changes throughout the month can significantly impact energy levels, focus, and mood. Recognizing and working with these changes can help you optimize both your physical and mental output.
Here’s a breakdown of the four key phases of the menstrual cycle and how they might impact how you choose to exercise:
Menstrual Phase (Days 1–5): Hormone levels are at their lowest as your body sheds the uterine lining. It’s common to feel fatigued or low-energy. This phase is ideal for rest, recovery, and low-impact activities like yoga or light walking. Listening to your body is crucial—there’s no need to push through period-related fatigue or discomfort.
Follicular Phase (Days 6–14): As estrogen rises, energy levels increase, making this an excellent time for high-energy activities like resistance or endurance training, that require high levels of motivation and effort.
Ovulation Phase (Days 15–17): A surge in luteinizing hormone (LH) can lead to a peak in alertness and stamina. This is the ideal time for intense workouts, such as HIIT or spin classes. In the workplace, you might feel more confident during presentations or collaborative sessions.
Luteal Phase (Days 18–28): As progesterone rises and estrogen dips, energy levels tend to decline. Recovery becomes more important, and PMS symptoms may appear. This phase is ideal for low-to-moderate intensity activities and focusing on detailed or reflective work.
What Science Says About Cycle Syncing in Sports
Research is shedding new light on how the menstrual cycle affects athletic performance and injury risk. For instance, a study of Women’s Super League players found they were six times more likely to experience muscle injuries in the premenstrual phase and five times more likely during the early luteal phase compared to other phases.
Interestingly, reaction times also slowed during the luteal phase—by an average of 10–20 milliseconds—though accuracy remained unaffected. This leads researchers to believe that delayed reactions could be contributing to how often athletes are injured, not just their changing physiology.
Dr. Flaminia Ronca, a researcher from UCL, noted that women often perform better than expected during menstruation, challenging societal assumptions about reduced abilities during this phase. This evidence underscores the importance of tailoring activities to the natural rhythms of the body rather than adhering to one-size-fits-all schedules.
Case Studies: How Athletes Use Cycle Syncing
1. The England Women’s Football Team
Since 2021, the Lionesses have pioneered the use of cycle syncing in team sports, with tailored training plans designed to align with players’ hormonal patterns. By tracking menstrual cycles and adjusting training intensity accordingly, the team has seen improvements in recovery, reduced injury risks, and better overall performance.
2. Jessica Ennis
Another pioneer in this area, Olympic gold medalist Jessica Ennis used cycle syncing to optimize her training. She scheduled high-intensity workouts during her follicular phase, when energy and strength were at their peak, and shifted to lighter, technique-focused sessions during her luteal phase to support recovery.
3. Nike Sync
Nike’s training app, created in collaboration with Dr. Stacy Sims, offers personalized workout plans tailored to the menstrual cycle. The app has seen a 60% higher engagement rate and a 199% increase in female member retention, demonstrating the value of cycle syncing for fitness and well-being.
Applying Cycle Syncing to Productivity
The benefits of cycle syncing aren’t limited to sports—it’s a powerful tool for improving productivity. Just as athletes adapt their training to their natural rhythms, we can structure our work around the ebbs and flows of our energy and focus.
For example:
Use the follicular and ovulation phases to tackle high-energy tasks, like brainstorming, strategic planning, or presenting.
Reserve the luteal and menstrual phases for reflective or detail-oriented work, allowing for recovery when energy levels dip.
Prioritize rest and self-care, just as athletes do, to prevent burnout and maintain long-term performance.
Read more about cycle-syncing and productivity in our seminal blog.
Embracing Personalized Productivity
Cycle syncing highlights a broader truth: productivity is deeply personal. Everyone’s hormonal and energy patterns are unique, and understanding how your body functions can unlock new levels of efficiency and well-being.
Athletes like Jessica Ennis and the Lionesses have shown us that success doesn’t come from relentless effort alone. It’s about knowing when to push, when to pause, and how to align effort with natural rhythms. For knowledge workers, adopting these principles could mean fewer burnout days and more sustained periods of high-quality performance.
Ready to start syncing your work with your natural rhythm? Embrace the athlete’s mindset: work smarter, not harder.
Hormones are a superpower. You can use your cycle to live a more productive and successful life.
Phase can show you how.
P.S. Everyone's experience with menstruation is unique, so you might notice that your energy levels don't always match the typical patterns described above.
How you feel during each phase can also vary from one cycle to the next. It's important to observe and adapt to your body's signals, as your personal experience may differ.
Photo by Jeffrey-R-Lin on Unsplash.
