This is a big topic - but I will plough on with an overview. I have polycystic ovaries, insulin resistance, and adenomyosis (similar to endometriosis). Also, years of pushing myself through my laziness (undiagnosed health issues) and constant stress, had led to constant exhaustion. I suspected that this was also hormonal. Spoiler - literally everything I experienced seems to have affected my hormones, and often the natural and the medical treatment for multiple issues, was the same.
A little background that you may have forgotten/never learned;
The two main female hormones are oestrogen and progesterone - but we also have testosterone, FSH, LH, and DHEA.
These fluctuate throughout your cycle. A “typical” cycle lasts anywhere between 26 and 32 days, and has four phases. 1) menstruation 2) follicular 3) ovulation, and 4) luteal. Day 1 of your period is considered the beginning of your cycle.
In phases 1 and 4, our oestrogen levels are low, and we find it harder to recover from intense activity. It also causes psychological and physiological problems with exercise and dieting.
In phases 2 and 3, oestrogen is sky high - a good thing for exercise and recovery. It has anti inflammatory properties (which is why women can recover from exercise quicker than men - hooray for one upside to being female!).
Oestrogen - is mainly produced by the ovaries, but the adrenal glands and fat cells make some (hence why being above your ideal weight can cause a cycle of hormonal issues that is very hard to break without support). It also contributes to strong bones (hence why osteoporosis is an issue as we get older and oestrogen levels drop). It has a broadly positive effect on mood, increasing serotonin. When levels drop in your cycle, it can cause migraine. One of the two hormones that dictates your cycle
Progesterone - too little can cause irregular and heavy periods.
It can have a depressive effect, hence why many contraceptive pills are found to contribute to depression.
One of the two hormones that dictates your cycle
An imbalance of theses (more oestrogen than progesterone) can cause issues like migraine, and heavy periods with flooding, to name just two.
Testosterone - women have this, but not in as high amounts as men. How much we have in our system, and how much of that is ‘free’ in our blood, can cause us issues. Mainly produced by the ovaries, but the adrenal glands also make some.
FSH - this is responsible for ovulating
LH - this is also responsible for ovulation, and surges about 24 to 36 hours before you ovulate (which you do about 14 days before the end of your cycle).
DHEA - The adrenal glands produce this hormone, and it in turn helps produce others such as testosterone.
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