Cycle Syncing – Madison Ayers Writes

My experience with 28, the #1 cycle syncing app

“Five years ago, few people had heard of cycle syncing, but it has surged in popularity thanks to viral videos on TikTok and other social media sites. For young women who came of age in the 2000s or early 2010s, the idea that wellness and nutrition can work with your menstrual cycle rather than against it is revolutionary and exciting. Videos of influencers doing high-intensity interval training (HIIT) during ovulation then taking a step back during their luteal phase are a welcome change from the conventional health wisdom of twenty years ago, which focused mainly on weight-loss and encouraged unhealthy dieting practices.

A new app called 28, founded in 2022 by Evie Magazine Editor-in-Chief Brittany Hugoboom, leans into this trend by bringing an algorithm to women to help them organize their life around their cycle. Even though I already use the Sympto-Thermal Method of fertility awareness for cycle charting and family planning, I decided to use 28 for a few cycles to see if this cycle syncing app could help me not only better understand my cycle, but also reach fitness and lifestyle goals with greater ease. Here’s my review of the 28 app as someone with training in an official fertility awareness method (FAM).”

Read my review at Natural Womanhood.

Do female athletes perform worse during their periods?: How the menstrual cycle impacts athletic performance

“I don’t think I performed very well today,” Fu Yuanhaui, Chinese Olympic swimmer, said in her post-swim interview at the 2016 Rio Olympics. “It’s because my period came yesterday, so I felt particularly tired — but this isn’t an excuse, I still didn’t swim well enough.”

Female athletes in all arenas of sport might be able to relate to Yuanhaui’s sentiments. Many women believe their athletic performance is worse during their periods due to symptoms like cramps, headaches, or fatigue.”

How can sports respect the female body?: A response to TIME magazine, Part II

“I previously addressed a TIME magazine article arguing that modern sports weren’t designed for the female body, especially the adolescent female body. Author and elite female athlete Lauren Fleshman spelled out the health risks girls and young women in particular may face because athletic competition doesn’t take into account their female design. So what’s the solution? How can sports respect the female body?”

Sports and the female body: A response to TIME magazine, Part I

“TIME Magazine: Sports weren’t designed for the female body because they require female athletes to “fight their body’s natural development”

In her TIME article, Fleshman describes how adolescent girls experience a temporary dip in their athletic performance when they begin puberty. This occurs because their bodies shift energy towards sexual development during this crucial period. Adolescent boys do not experience this same dip, and also do not have the natural “softness” that a girl going through puberty can expect to develop.”