Experts: cycle-syncing workouts is 'marketing, not science' — SkimNews
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- Kelly McNulty of Leeds Beckett University, a menstrual cycle and exercise researcher, calls cycle-syncing 'a trend based on marketing rather than any kind of research or evidence,' saying there is no research supporting phase-based workout prescriptions.
- Cycle-syncing searches have risen 740% on Google since 2022 and accumulated more than 55,000 TikTok videos under the #cyclesyncing hashtag, with most advice shared by fitness and wellness creators rather than medical or research experts.
- Menstrual cycles are highly individual—varying between women and even cycle-to-cycle—and many cycle-tracking apps are built around 21-to-35-day cycles, making their advice less applicable to people with irregular periods or those using hormonal contraception.
- Dr Faye Bate warns that repeatedly telling women they will be weaker at certain cycle points could trigger a 'nocebo' effect, and cautions against normalising severe symptoms that interfere with daily life as an inevitable part of menstruation.
- McNulty adds that routinely easing off resistance training could limit strength progress, a particular concern for women given their higher later-life risk of osteoporosis.
- Cesci Burgoyne and fitness creator Sarah Mackay say they adjust training intuitively based on how they feel rather than following prescriptive plans—Mackay notes she has hit personal records while menstruating.
- Experts instead recommend being 'cycle-aware': tracking to understand one's own patterns and using the cycle as information rather than a rigid set of rules.
Why it matters: The article highlights a gap between viral wellness content—740% search growth and 55,000+ TikTok posts—and the underlying science, with named researchers at Leeds Beckett University stating there is no evidence supporting phase-based prescriptions. For the millions of women exposed to this advice, the practical stakes include potentially weakened training consistency and the risk of treating serious symptoms as routine.
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