The short answer? Yes.<\/p>\n
In fact, there\u2019s a grassroots movement of researchers and healthcare providers who believe that the female menstrual cycle\u2014long ignored and notoriously under-researched in scientific studies\u2014is the “fifth vital sign” of overall health. (It wasn’t required by law<\/a> that women be included in clinical studies until 1993.)<\/p>\n Here, we\u2019ll review 8 things you can learn from tracking your fifth vital sign.<\/p>\n Do you have a normal cycle? This answer, of course, depends on how you define \u201cnormal.\u201d The length of a menstrual cycle is the number of days between the first day of menstrual bleeding of one cycle to the onset of menses of the next cycle. And the median duration of a menstrual cycle<\/a> is 28 days with most cycle lengths between 25 to 30 days.<\/p>\n First, a quick visual overview of the phases of your cycle.<\/p>\n But what’s “normal” on average for a population of women is pretty irrelevant to what’s normal for you. Do you tend to have a delayed period when you’re extra stressed at work or travel overseas? (Lots of women do.)<\/p>\n If your cycle is irregular, meaning that it occurs more or less frequently than about every 28 or so days, do you have an underlying issue that needs to be addressed?<\/p>\n Keeping track of your cycle can help you determine what\u2019s \u201cnormal\u201d for you.<\/p>\n Are you hungrier during a particular phase of your cycle?<\/p>\n Many women find that they are hungrier during the luteal phase compared to the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle, and several studies have supported the hypothesis that women tend to have higher caloric intake during the luteal phase.<\/p>\n Why? Studies (like this one<\/a> published in the European Journal of Nutrition) suggest that progesterone may stimulate, and estrogen may suppress, appetite during the cycle.<\/p>\n Do you tend to have a pattern of gastrointestinal issues that are tied to your cycle?<\/p>\n Many women do. According to this study<\/a>, published in BMC Women’s Health, 73% of the women studied experienced one of the primary GI complaints either just before or during their period: abdominal pain, diarrhea, or constipation.<\/p>\n It’s long been understood that estrogen is linked to mood, and scientists have been studying the connection between the menstrual cycle and psychological wellbeing for over 50 years. But there is still so much that we don’t know.<\/p>\n Here’s what we do know:<\/p>\n Although the exact relationship between mood regulation and fluctuating hormones is not well understood, we do know that there\u2019s a connection somehow.<\/p>\n Tracking your cycle can help you understand patterns and connections that are valuable for you, individually. Do you tend to get anxious several days before your period comes? If so, you can adjust for that, making sure you get extra rest, reduce stress as much as possible, or schedule self-care during that time.<\/p>\n Knowledge is power, and when you know where you are in your menstrual cycle, you can be more aware of physical or emotional patterns. When you understand the why <\/i>behind your appetite or mood changes, you become empowered, and can be much better equipped to handle the how.<\/i><\/p>\n Do you have heavy bleeding? Missed periods? Abdominal pain or other issues you may need to have checked out? This certainly isn\u2019t the case for everyone, but tracking your cycle can help you determine whether any physical discomfort or pain might be connected to your menstrual cycle.<\/p>\n It can also help you determine whether or not you’re ovulating. Many women assume that if their cycle is around 28-days, they are ovulating. But that isn’t always the case, since it’s possible to have breakthrough bleeding<\/a>.\u00a0 Dr. Jerilynn Prior, Professor of Endocrinology and Metabolism at the University of British Columbia, points out in her\u00a0research<\/a>\u00a0that ovulation is highly variable for all women.<\/p>\n Dr. Prior authored an extensive\u00a0study<\/a> of over 3,100 healthy, regularly menstruating women between the ages of 20 and 49.9, which found that only 63% of these women ovulated during the cycle that was tested, meaning that 37% of them did not ovulate and had what\u2019s known as an anovulatory cycle<\/a>.<\/p>\n When you\u2019re recording daily data on your cycle and your physical and emotional health\u2014you\u2019ll have a little database of information to pass along to your healthcare provider.<\/p>\n Increasingly, women are turning to period tracking tools to determine their fertile window<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you do use period tracking for this purpose, make sure you pick one that\u2019s been clinically proven to be effective, as studies, like this one <\/a>from the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, have shown that some are not. (Check out our full post on ovulation trackers.<\/a>)<\/p>\n Also, when it comes to getting pregnant, there\u2019s a lot of misinformation out there\u2014learn the fertility facts<\/a>.<\/p>\n Researchers are beginning to understand how the menstrual cycle might affect physical performance. Studies have shown that there is an increased incidence<\/a> of female athletic injuries during the luteal phase and the first days of the menstrual period. Another study also found that heavy menstrual bleeding<\/a> was associated with anemia, iron supplementation and slower performance time in elite athletes.<\/p>\n More research needs to be conducted to understand whether this is meaningful for women who are not elite athletes, but by recording your own data, you can determine whether these factors are relevant to you.<\/p>\n Some women who are significantly affected either mentally (anxiety, mood swings, trouble sleeping) or physically (bloating, cramps, heavy bleeding) by their menstrual cycles, like to know precisely when their more challenging menstrual cycle phase is coming so that they can plan ahead.<\/p>\n But how many women are negatively impacted by their cycle to the point where it\u2019s difficult to work or socialize?<\/p>\n More than you may think. Severe pain and heavy bleeding affect about one-third of women. According to this study<\/a> by the Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology, which examined 1,547 women:<\/p>\n And of those women:<\/p>\n We’re still learning so much the menstrual cycle. When it comes to women’s reproductive health, we are still fighting an uphill battle against long-standing myths and cultural taboos. Here at Ava, it is our mission to empower women with the most up-to-date information about their reproductive health. Join us<\/a>.<\/p>\n A friend\u2019s daughter got her period last year at 12 years old. As her first […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10016,"featured_media":29734,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[889,896],"tags":[5136],"yoast_head":"\n1. Learn your unique cycle length and patterns<\/h2>\n
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2. Discover physical symptoms that dovetail with your cycle<\/h2>\n
3. Detect possible mood changes at different phases of your cycle<\/h2>\n
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4. Be aware of potential underlying health issues<\/h2>\n
5. Collect data that you can provide your doctor<\/h2>\n
6. Know when you\u2019re in your fertile window<\/h2>\n
7. Maximize your physical performance<\/h2>\n
8. Plan your major events for times when you\u2019ll feel your best<\/h2>\n
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Want to learn more?<\/h2>\n
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