Fuelling Through Your Cycle and Menopause
Trail Notes | Fuelling & Female Physiology
Fuelling Through Your Cycle
and menopause.
Your nutrition needs are not fixed. They shift across your menstrual cycle and again through perimenopause and menopause. Working with those shifts, rather than against them, helps you train well and feel better.
Across your cycle
If you menstruate, your appetite, energy, cravings, sleep and perceived effort can change through the month. Many women feel stronger in the first half of their cycle and more fatigued or heavy in the second.
Before your period, you may need more regular meals, a little more carbohydrate, more protein-rich snacks, more fluids and electrolytes, and more flexibility around appetite. Your cycle is data, not an inconvenience.
Through perimenopause and menopause
As hormones shift, nutrition becomes more important for muscle, bone, recovery, mood and sleep. This is a time to be more intentional, not more restrictive.
Focus on
- Enough total energy
- Protein anchored across the day
- Regular strength training
- Carbohydrate around harder sessions
- Healthy fats, calcium, vitamin D, iron where relevant, fibre, hydration and sleep
Iron and bones
Female athletes need to be especially mindful of iron and bone health. Low iron can leave you tired, breathless and unable to recover. Low energy availability, missed periods and low calcium or vitamin D all raise the risk to your bones. Do not supplement iron blindly, ask your doctor for testing.
Eat enough, prioritise protein, keep strength in your week, and fuel the work you are doing. Food is part of your long-term athletic health, not just today's session.
Written by the Her Trails coaching team
Trail Notes are evidence-informed coaching journals written for women who train, race and run on trails.
Go deeper inside Her Trails
Training With Your Cycle and Running Strong Through Perimenopause and Menopause in Base Camp go further. Two programs help you act on it: Her Shift (education and cycle-based training) and Peri Power (8 week strength for perimenopause and menopause), or bring questions to Coaching Corner.
This is general guidance, not medical advice. For symptoms, HRT, iron or bone health, please work with your doctor or a qualified practitioner.
