Nutrition advice for active women tends to focus on macros, calories and performance output. What it rarely addresses is how your nutritional needs shift across your cycle - and how directly what you eat affects not just how you perform, but how you feel in the days before, during and after your period.
This isn't about a strict protocol or cutting anything out. It's about knowing which nutrients your body most needs, when it needs them, and the simplest food-first ways to get there.
1. Carbohydrates - training fuel & recovery
Carbohydrates are your body's preferred energy source for training — and your brain's too. In the luteal phase, your body naturally craves more carbohydrates as progesterone rises and blood sugar becomes less stable. Those cravings aren't a lack of willpower. They're your body asking for fuel.
Complex carbohydrates - oats, sweet potato, wholegrains, legumes - keep energy stable across the day and support glycogen replenishment after hard sessions. Don't restrict them, especially around training and in the week before your period.
What to eat: Oats, Sweet potato, Brown rice, Wholegrains, Legumes
2. Protein - muscle repair & daily consistency
Muscle protein synthesis is higher in the follicular phase when oestrogen supports repair. But protein's value isn't phase-specific — it's the one nutrient that needs to show up every single day.
Aiming for adequate protein at each meal (rather than front-loading it) supports ongoing muscle maintenance, satiety and recovery across the whole cycle. For active women, roughly 1.4–1.7g per kg of body weight per day is a useful general target — food first, supplements where genuinely needed.
What to eat: Eggs, Greek yoghurt, Chicken, Lentils, Tofu, Fish
3. Iron - especially important for menstruating athletes
Iron is the nutrient most commonly depleted in active women who menstruate — and one of the first to affect performance when levels drop. Fatigue, reduced endurance, difficulty concentrating and slower recovery can all be early signs of low iron before anaemia sets in.
Red meat, dark leafy greens, lentils and fortified foods are strong dietary sources. Pairing iron-rich foods with vitamin C significantly improves absorption, while tea, coffee and calcium-rich foods consumed alongside can reduce it. If you train hard and bleed heavily, it's worth getting your levels checked.
What to eat: Red meat, Spinach, Lentils, Pumpkin seeds, Fortified cereals
4. Calcium + Vitamin D - bone support under load
Oestrogen plays a significant role in bone density maintenance — which means the phases when oestrogen is lower (and particularly across perimenopause and menopause) are the periods when bone health needs the most attention.
For active women at any age, adequate calcium and vitamin D are non-negotiable — especially if training load is high. Vitamin D is also involved in muscle function, immune response and mood. In Ireland and the UK, supplementation through winter months is generally recommended for the whole population regardless of training status.
What to eat: Dairy or fortified alternatives, Sardines, Kale
5. Omega-3 fats - inflammation support, food-first
Omega-3 fatty acids have a well-evidenced anti-inflammatory effect — and inflammation is central to both menstrual pain and exercise recovery. Research suggests that adequate omega-3 intake may help reduce the severity of dysmenorrhoea (period pain) and support faster muscle repair after training.
Oily fish is the richest dietary source. For those who don't eat fish, flaxseed, chia seeds and walnuts provide the plant-based precursor ALA — though direct EPA and DHA from fish or algae-based supplements are more bioavailable if support for inflammation is a priority.
What to eat: Salmon, Mackerel, Sardines, Chia seeds, Walnuts, Flaxseed
6. Fluids + electrolytes - especially in the luteal phase
Progesterone raises your core body temperature slightly in the luteal phase — which means you sweat more, fatigue earlier and need to rehydrate more consciously than in the first half of your cycle.
Bloating before your period can also mask dehydration, making it easy to underdrink. Water remains the most important thing, but if training sessions are long or intense, electrolytes — sodium, potassium, magnesium — become relevant. Coconut water, mineral-rich foods, and electrolyte tablets are all practical options.
Reducing caffeine in the second half of your cycle can also meaningfully improve sleep and reduce fluid loss.
What to eat: Water, Coconut water, Bananas, Leafy greens, Electrolyte tablets
Nourishing your cycle isn't a separate goal from performing well. They're the same thing.
These six nutrients aren't a regime — they're a framework.
Most of them are already in a varied whole-food diet. The value is in knowing which ones deserve a little more attention, and when across your cycle that attention matters most.
And one more thing that belongs in the conversation: what touches your body during your period. Riley's 100% GOTS certified organic cotton tampons, pads and pantyliners are free from synthetic materials, fragrances and chlorine bleach - so when your body is at its most sensitive, your period care isn't adding to its load.
Period care that keeps up with how you train and how you eat.
Build your Riley bundle here.
