Menstrual Cycle Hormone
Our simple menstrual cycle hormone chart graphically depicts female reproductive hormone concentrations throughout a 28-day cycle.
Fact Checked by Nate Lacson.
What is a Menstrual Cycle Hormone Chart?
Understanding the female menstrual cycle can be complex, given its intricate nature, the many hormones involved, many phases, and interwoven feedback mechanisms. Rather than writing down the hormone variations over the menstrual cycle, it can be a lot easier to understand a visual representation. Hence, our Menstrual Cycle Hormone Chart is designed as a reliable, go-to visual reference.
This visual aid depicts the ebb and flow of gonadotropic and ovarian hormones throughout a standard 28-day cycle, emphasizing essential events like ovulation and menstruation.
It's worth noting that this printable chart illustrates a standard 28-day cycle for simplicity. However, it's imperative to remember that uterine and ovarian cycles exhibit substantial variability between individuals. While some may adhere to a regular 28-day rhythm, others may experience processes that are notably longer, shorter, or less uniform (Ernst & Watson, 2023).
So, if you need to refresh your understanding of the menstrual cycle or help educate your patients on the changes in their reproductive hormones throughout their cycles, you're in the right place.
Check out our free Menstrual Cycle Hormone Chart here
Download our Menstrual Cycle Hormone Chart PDF for improved hormone assessment
How Does this Menstrual Cycle Hormone Chart Work?
This Menstrual Cycle Hormone Chart depicts the concentrations of the most influential female reproductive hormones and their fluctuations over 28 days, or one complete ovarian/uterine cycle.
The chart is split into two line graphs: gonadotropic hormone levels, specifically FH and LSH, and ovarian hormone concentrations encompassing estradiol, inhibin, and progesterone. This division allows for a clear visual representation of the changes in each hormone.
It's important to note that this graph is designed to be a stylized representation of the relative hormonal changes and is not an entirely accurate resource for exact concentration values.
Menstrual Cycle Hormone Chart Example (sample)
To see how this Menstrual Cycle Hormone Chart can help you provide valuable context for your patients’ hormone test results, just take a look at our example Menstrual Cycle Hormone Chart. This example shows how a seemingly high E2 result can be placed in the context of the natural fluctuations over the course of the menstrual cycle.
You can access this printable Menstrual Cycle Hormone Chart by downloading the PDF here.
Download the Menstrual Cycle Hormone Chart PDF here
When Would you use This Chart?
This chart serves a dual purpose: it is a valuable tool for revision for anyone seeking to review the vital hormonal changes in the menstrual cycle, and it also serves as an instructive aid for patients.
Understanding the fluctuations in hormones throughout the menstrual cycle can be a challenging concept to grasp. Thus, having a structured resource readily available can be a great asset in elucidating more intricate hormonal principles.
This resource can help any patients with an interest in the menstrual cycle, whether they are initiating birth control, exploring fertility, or simply seeking educational or illustrative materials. While we have incorporated critical milestones like ovulation and menstruation, there is ample space for annotations or additional notes to elaborate on any concepts you deem necessary when using this menstrual cycle hormone chart as an explanatory tool.
A wide range of practitioners stand to benefit from having this resource at their disposal. These could include:
- Medical, nursing, or health sciences students
- General practitioners
- Gynecologists
- Endocrinologists
- Fertility Specialists
- Obstetricians
- Midwives
Research & Evidence
Extensive research has been conducted into the fluctuations of female reproductive hormones throughout the ovarian and uterine cycles, drawing from human and animal model investigations. The underlying mechanisms driving these hormonal shifts, as illustrated in this resource, have been the subject of study over recent decades. They are predominantly regulated by hormones in the hypothalamus, pituitary, and ovaries (Taylor et al., 2020).
A crucial feedback loop involves the suppression of FSH and LH by elevated levels of estrogen and progesterone, particularly evident during the follicular phase of the ovarian cycle. However, when estrogen levels reach a critical threshold, this feedback loop switches from negative to positive, culminating in a surge of LH that ultimately triggers ovulation in the late follicular phase (Hawkins & Matzuk, 2008).
This dynamic is observable in our menstrual cycle hormone chart, where there is a notable spike in LH following the peak in estrogen levels just before ovulation. The chart portrays a cycle in which fertilization does not occur, and consequently, the corpus luteum, responsible for secreting estrogen and progesterone, is reabsorbed, forming the scar-like corpus albicans. The subsequent decline in ovarian hormones initiates menstruation (Ernst & Watson, 2023).
References
Ernst, H., & Watson, S. (2023, September). Stages of Menstrual Cycle: Menstruation, Ovulation, Hormones, Mor. Healthline. Retrieved November 7, 2023, from https://www.healthline.com/health/womens-health/stages-of-menstrual-cycle
Hawkins, S. M., & Matzuk, M. M. (2008, June). The Menstrual Cycle. The Menstrual Cycle and Adolescent Health, 1135(1), 10-18.
Martini, F., Ober, W., Nath, J., Bartholomew, E., & Petti, K. (2017). Visual Anatomy and Physiology. Pearson.
Taylor, H. S., Pal, L., & Seli, E. (2020). Speroff's Clinical Gynecologic Endocrinology and Infertility. Wolters Kluwer.
Commonly asked questions
This chart's horizontal axis (x-axis) denotes time, while the vertical axis (y-axis) represents the relative concentrations of each hormone. This graphical representation aids in comprehending the fluctuations in hormone levels throughout the 28-day cycle, shedding light on pivotal events like menstruation and ovulation.
This visual aid will prove highly effective for educational purposes. It serves as a valuable tool for patients struggling to grasp how hormonal birth control functions in preventing pregnancy or for healthcare professionals looking to elucidate the intricacies of the female hormonal cycle concerning fertility. While we've designed this resource to be user-friendly and accessible, it's worth noting that it may serve best as a supplementary, more stylized tool, as it does not comprehensively cover all aspects of the female reproductive cycle.
The regulatory cascade of the female reproductive cycle involves many hormones, including gonadotropic hormones released from the anterior pituitary and ovarian hormones. This chart depicts explicitly follicle-stimulating hormone (FH) levels, luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol, inhibin, and progesterone.
