Talking to females specifically… Have you ever been on an extremely low-carb diet with little to no success, or has this caused your menstrual cycle to become imbalanced? You might need more carbs than others and more than males. As a woman, you need a certain amount of carbohydrates to ovulate and have a normal female cycle. Some women need quite a bit of carbohydrates to ovulate. It all depends on when the starvation response is triggered in your hypothalamus (which varies between women).
So what’s going wrong here?
Carbohydrates play an important role in ovulation for females because they help to regulate the production of certain hormones necessary for the menstrual cycle.
During the menstrual cycle, a complex interplay of hormones releases an egg from the ovary, known as ovulation. One of the essential hormones involved in this process is insulin, produced by the pancreas, and helps regulate blood sugar levels in the body.
Carbohydrates are the body’s primary energy source, broken down into glucose, which the cells use to produce energy. When consumed, carbohydrates are converted into glucose and absorbed into the bloodstream, which triggers insulin release from the pancreas.
Insulin plays a critical role in the menstrual cycle because it stimulates the production of another hormone called luteinizing hormone (LH), which is necessary for ovulation. LH triggers the release of the egg from the ovary, and without enough of this hormone, ovulation may not occur.
Therefore, consuming adequate amounts of carbohydrates is essential for females trying to conceive because it helps ensure that insulin levels are properly regulated, which in turn helps maintain healthy LH levels and support the ovulation process.
Several hormones are necessary for ovulation to happen in females. The menstrual cycle is controlled by a complex interplay of hormones, including:
1.) Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH): This hormone is produced by the pituitary gland and stimulates the growth and development of the ovary follicles containing the eggs.
2.) Luteinizing hormone (LH): This hormone is also produced by the pituitary gland and is crucial in triggering ovulation. It causes the mature follicle to rupture and release the egg from the ovary.
3.) Estrogen: This hormone is produced by the follicles in the ovary and plays a role in preparing the uterus for the implantation of a fertilized egg.
4.) Progesterone: This hormone is produced by the corpus luteum, which is the structure that forms in the ovary after ovulation. Progesterone helps to prepare the uterus for the implantation of a fertilized egg and is vital for maintaining a pregnancy.
5.) Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH): This hormone is produced by the hypothalamus and regulates the production and release of FSH and LH by the pituitary gland.
These hormones work together in a complex feedback loop to regulate the menstrual cycle and ensure that ovulation occurs. Any disruption in this delicate balance of hormones can result in irregular periods, anovulation (failure to ovulate), or infertility.
How many carbohydrates do women need to ovulate and have a normal female cycle? This depends on the person, but I’ve seen some people going to <50g and being okay; others might have issues <150. I see more problems related to body fat (too low or too high), as seen in most female physique sports athletes.
I would also recommend that you read my post on PCOS: https://www.successfitnessandtraining.com/2023/07/31/the-4-types-of-polycystic-ovarian-syndrome-pcos/
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