Initially, I liked cycle syncing because it seemed so easy to apply. The four neatly organised phases gave me a sense of control, which satisfied my analytical brain. But certain things started to not make sense, and after a while the framework became limiting, inaccurate and hard to stick to.
I would later learn of the current critiques from researchers, sports scientists, and clinicians that this method has little to no evidence to support it's claims. People like Dr Stacey Sims who once praised the method are now questioning the phase based recommendations citing newer evidence that challenges simplistic menstrual phase programming.
When I first read about The Cycle Syncing Method® coined by Alisa Vitti, I thought, wow. This is revolutionary. Of course women need different things at different times of their cycle.
There were so many things I loved that made sense at the time, like adapting our food, exercise and lifestyles into four tidy phases:
- Menstrual Phase: lower energy, warm foods, slower exercise
- Follicular Phase: rising energy, fresher foods, more strength-based exercise
- Ovulatory Phase: high energy, any foods, cardio and strength training
- Luteal Phase: lower energy, soothing foods and gentler exercise
The first problem with The Cycle Syncing Method® is that the phases are inaccurate
Img 1: The Cycle Syncing Method® phases
Maybe The Cycle Syncing Method® was a good entry point for women to become familiar with the fact that we are different throughout the cycle. But the problem with oversimplification is that we miss crucial information about our own unique bodies. And not knowing some of that information, like when we actually ovulate, not predicted ovulation, can be dangerous for things like unwanted pregnancies or more serious conditions.
I also think we need to give women more credit for being able to handle complexity. If female biology means that we can bleed every month, potentially get pregnant, give birth to a whole human being and feed that human with our bodies, we can handle complexity. I know we do not always want complexity, but just give it to us straight. We can take it.
Img 2: Hormone fluctuations throughout an average non-oral contraceptive menstrual cycle
So, The Cycle Syncing Method® has four phases, while our actual cycle consists of two cycles happening simultaneously, with a total of six phases. Our hormones fluctuate throughout these cycles. If you already know this stuff, skip it. If you do not, strap in.
The Ovarian Cycle
These are the things happening in the ovaries. The ovaries get their orders from the brain.
Img 3: The Ovarian Cycle, which contains the biological phases that seed cycling follows.
The Follicular Phase
This starts on day one of bleeding, cycle day one, and finishes at ovulation. Inside the ovary, a follicle, which is a fluid-filled sac that holds an immature egg, starts maturing the egg ready for ovulation.
Ovulation
The mature egg is released from the follicle, out of the ovary and into the fallopian tubes, where it waits for fertilisation within a 24-hour window.
The Luteal Phase
The sac left over from the burst follicle, called the corpus luteum, starts signalling to the uterus to infuse the lining with even more nutrients in the hope that a fertilised egg will implant into the uterine wall. This phase starts after ovulation and continues until the first day of bleeding, which marks the start of the next cycle.
The Uterine Cycle
These are the things happening in the uterus. The uterus gets its orders from the ovaries.
Img 4 The Uterine Cycle, phases in the uterus
Menstrual Phase
The uterus sheds its lining due to no pregnancy taking place. This can last one to six days.
Proliferative Phase
This is when the uterus starts thickening its lining again in preparation for a potential pregnancy. This happens straight after menstruation until ovulation.
Secretory Phase
After ovulation, the corpus luteum releases progesterone, signalling the uterine lining to become rich in nutrients and ready for an embryo to implant.
So what The Cycle Syncing Method® does is pick a few phases from each of these cycles, then change their lengths and essentially their meanings to create its own framework.
For example, biologically the follicular phase starts on the first day of fresh bleeding, or day one of our cycle, when the follicle starts to mature. The Cycle Syncing Method® decided the follicular phase starts after our period and lasts for roughly eight days, which is wildly inaccurate.
Now we have a decade of women following this program who do not understand what the follicular phase actually is. Maybe that is not a big deal, but when it comes to seed cycling, you consume the blends in sync with the ovarian cycle: the follicular phase, ovulation and the luteal phase. And if people think the follicular phase starts after menstruation, they will not be seed cycling correctly and may miss out on the benefits.
The second problem is how rigid and generic the framework is
It is true that certain hormones like estrogen, testosterone and progesterone all have different characteristics. But how those characteristics are expressed across the cycle is completely dependent on the individual. Yet The Cycle Syncing Method® puts your mental and physical state into boxes.
I even heard of a woman who had recently lost her father, and her predictive app told her she would be feeling fabulous that day because testosterone was at its peak. It is an extreme example, but it demonstrates that assuming a person's current state based on predictive tracking and hormones alone is limiting.
I think, as humans, we like insights about how we feel and who we are because we want to feel seen, connected and in control. But like with the first problem, when we oversimplify to satisfy that sense of control, we can miss the nuance of how we really feel in the process.
The last problem is being able to stick to such a rigid framework
For the first year of doing The Cycle Syncing Method®, I felt great. I felt like I was being even more considerate of my body's needs than I was before. I even created an event series called Cyclical Living that covered things like skincare throughout the phases and sex drive throughout the phases, which was actually fun.
But if I am really honest, I was turning a blind eye to the inaccuracies and rigidity of the framework.
Sometimes I felt like doing strength training on my period without feeling like I 'shouldn't do that' if I wanted to support my cycle. I would see incredibly balanced female athletes run marathons on their period and their health was absolutely fine. As Dr. Stacey Sims has mentioned individual patterns matter more than trend-based prescriptions.
Not to mention, Alisa Vitti’s explanation of seed cycling was completely inaccurate. I had women coming to me who had read her book and were confused about when to seed cycle, which is not ideal.
I totally get that this framework is to be used as a guide and can appreciate the premise of it, but even then, it doesn't leave room for nuance and unique circumstances.
Which is why I no longer prescribe or endorse The Cycle Syncing Method®. Instead, I endorse cycle awareness.
The Cycle Syncing Method® vs Cycle Awareness
Cycle awareness is about knowing YOUR unique cycle - not a framework.
For example using the Sympto-Thermal Method as a way of accurately tracking your cycle (no predictive apps), and seed cycling as a way of supporting it nutritionally. Everything else, like exercise, energy and mood, are in flux and does not need to be boxed in, in my opinion. But instead you can observe how you feel that day, check your chart, take your blends and decide what you have capacity for.
I think it is great to understand your fluctuating hormones and how they can contribute to how you feel, and to put things in place to support hormones and help mitigate symptoms. But life does not just run on our cycle. It runs on relationships, work, our environments, culture and all the life experiences that make us who we are today.
Yes, women change throughout their cycle. And learning about your hormones is incredibly important. (there are still some spots left for our in-person workshop Balance Hormones and Sort Your Cycle in Auckland). But that change looks different for everyone.
It is about finding tools like the Sympto-Thermal Method and Seed Cycle Blend that work with your real biological cycle, not an oversimplified framework. So, you can better understand your unique cycle and give your body what it truly needs - not just a prediction.
What are your thoughts about The Cycle Syncing Method®? I'd love to hear from you.
