Menstrual cycle's effects on running/glycogen etc.

I just saw this article posted up on Competitor Running's Facebook page. Loved it:
http://running.competitor.com/2014/03/training/running-around-the-menstrual-cycle_67117

Excerpts:

On physiological and performance implications:
"If you bleed a lot during menstruation, it’s possible that your blood’s hemoglobin concentration may decrease, which can negatively impact your ability to transport oxygen in your blood. Since iron is an important component of hemoglobin, iron loss often accompanies a lot of bleeding. If this happens, you may need to supplement your normal diet with iron."

On body temperature:
"Body temperature changes rhythmically throughout the menstrual cycle, peaking during the luteal phase in response to the surge in progesterone. Progesterone acts on the brain’s hypothalamus (the temperature control center), which increases the set-point temperature. A higher body temperature increases the threshold for dissipation of heat. In other words, a woman’s body must reach a higher temperature before her thermostat compensates and begins to cool itself. That’s not a good thing when you’re running on a hot and humid day, as you want to begin the cooling response as soon as you can. Estrogen has the opposite effect on the hypothalamus, decreasing body temperature, which explains why body temperature is lower during the estrogen-dominant follicular phase."

On metabolism and muscle glycogen:
"Estrogen may improve endurance performance by altering carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism, with progesterone often acting antagonistically to estrogen. Estrogen promotes both the availability of glucose and uptake of glucose into slow-twitch muscle fibers, providing the fuel of choice during short duration exercise."

On managing the cycle's effects on performance:
"Female runners can expect to perform better during times of the menstrual cycle when estrogen is the dominant hormone and perform the worst when progesterone is the dominant hormone. Many of the female runners I’ve coached have experienced their worst training days in the few days leading up to and including menstruation. You may find that while harder workouts may be more challenging during your period, easy running may actually improve your mood and alleviate physical symptoms associated with it."

http://running.competitor.com/2014/03/training/running-around-the-menstrual-cycle_67117

Just thought I'd share. I found it fascinating.