Moderate evidence

Current evidence shows no consistent effect of menstrual cycle phase on strength performance or on gains from resistance training.

In practice

There's no good basis for restructuring a training week around cycle phase. Symptoms are real and worth adjusting a session for on the day — but that's autoregulation, the same as adjusting for a bad night's sleep, not a different programme.

What it doesn't say

The underlying studies are mostly small and methodologically weak, which is exactly why strong phase-based claims aren't supportable in either direction.

Source

• Colenso-Semple LM, D'Souza AC, Elliott-Sale KJ, Phillips SM (2023). Current evidence shows no influence of women's menstrual cycle phase on acute strength performance or adaptations to resistance exercise training. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 5:1054542. doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2023.1054542