UKC

Lattice Training coach Maddy Cope kicks off a new series on climbing training for women, with a focus on tailoring training sessions to the various stages of the menstrual cycle.

In this series, I hope to provide a systematic approach for climbers to syncing training with the menstrual cycle. With the increase in discussion surrounding hormones and the changes to our physiology during the menstrual cycle, it is easy to get overwhelmed. Before we dive into everything "periods, hormones, and cycles", first of all we need to think about the best approach for us. We can view our climbing and training as a pyramid; without a wide base, the whole thing would topple over. We need to start from the bottom, which means starting by laying strong foundations.

Great article, thanks Maddy. My cycle is really irregular so I've never bothered to consider it much in my training before, but I definitely notice the lower energy levels in late luteal phase! Maybe I should try a tracking app and see if I can find any regularity...

Exciting to see this topic being adapted to the climbing world! Thank you!

For those of you interested there is a free training app which helps you track your cycle and symptoms and then helps identify patterns and strategies for managing these around your training. It is more aimed at endurance athletes but there is a lot of useful information and tips which can be applied across to climbers too.

The app is currently free (beta version) and gives research-backed advice for menstruating women, women on various hormonal contraception and also peri-menopausal and menopausal women.

You need to sign up on the website to get access at the moment: - 

https://www.wild.ai