Understanding the invisible clock: why female biology demands a revolution in wellness science

At a wellness summit in Tokyo, a stark reality was laid bare: the entire biohacking movement has been built on a foundation that excludes half the population. The numbers tell a troubling story—just five percent of health research investment goes toward female health, leaving women to navigate wellness advice designed for bodies that operate on fundamentally different biological rhythms.

The cost of designing for one sex

The consequences of this oversight extend far beyond the wellness industry. Safety equipment, medical diagnostics, and health protocols have been developed using male bodies as the default template. Crash test dummies, designed to male specifications, fail to account for women's different skeletal and muscular structures, contributing to higher rates of serious injury in accidents.

Perhaps more alarming is the revelation that ninety percent of heart attacks in women are misdiagnosed. Whilst men typically present with the well-known symptoms of chest pain and arm numbness, women experience different warning signs—nausea, fatigue, jaw pain—that often go unrecognised by medical professionals trained on male-centric symptom profiles.

"Heart attacks in women are misdiagnosed in ninety percent of cases because we show different symptoms," Olena Sukhina explained to attendees at the Hololife Summit 2025 in Tokyo. "Everyone knows the classic chest pain for men. For women, it's nausea, fatigue, and jaw numbness."

Two clocks, not one

The fundamental difference lies in biological timing. Male biology operates on a predictable 24-hour cycle, aligned with the sun's daily rhythm. Testosterone and cortisol rise in the morning, enabling peak performance, before declining toward evening in a pattern that repeats consistently day after day.

Female biology, however, runs on dual timekeepers—both the daily circadian rhythm and an approximately 28-day hormonal cycle. This infradian rhythm, occurring less frequently than every 24 hours but more often than annually, governs fluctuations in energy, mood, cognitive function, and physical capacity.

"We have two body clocks compared to one," Sukhina noted. "Women's hormonal changes happen from within, based on a 28-day cycle that determines if we're happy, sluggish, need rest, or can be superwomen."

This endogenous rhythm aligns not with the sun but with natural patterns like lunar cycles and tidal movements, creating a biological connection to longer environmental rhythms that male biology does not share.

Mapping the phases

Understanding the female cycle requires moving beyond simplistic notions of menstruation as merely an inconvenience. The menstrual cycle serves as a crucial biological marker of overall health, with variations signaling potential hormonal imbalances or health concerns.

The cycle can be divided into six distinct phases, each with different hormonal profiles and corresponding physical and mental capacities:

The menstrual phase, lasting approximately five days, represents a time when all major hormones reach their lowest levels. This is a period that demands rest and recovery, ideally with extended sleep and minimal physical demands.

The follicular phase that follows brings what Sukhina described as "main character energy"—a time when rising estrogen and testosterone create optimal conditions for challenging work, intensive exercise, and ambitious projects. Physical resilience peaks, making this the ideal window for demanding activities like fasting, detoxification protocols, or cold exposure.

Ovulation marks the energetic apex of the cycle, characterised by heightened social confidence, reduced sleep requirements, and peak creative capacity. This brief window offers optimal conditions for presentations, networking, and bold initiatives.

The early luteal phase brings a rapid hormonal shift, requiring a brief period of recovery and reduced demands. This transitions into the mid-luteal phase, when rising progesterone creates mental clarity particularly suited to planning, organisation, and administrative tasks.

The late luteal phase calls for gradual deceleration—gentler movement, warmer foods, increased sleep, and introspective practices. Ignoring these signals and maintaining follicular-phase intensity can lead to burnout and hormonal disruption.

The hormonal trinity

Three key hormones orchestrate these shifts. Estrogen, rising during the follicular phase, generates energy, confidence, and physical resilience. Testosterone follows a similar pattern, peaking near ovulation to enhance assertiveness and drive. Progesterone dominates the luteal phase, promoting calm, introspection, and the need for rest.

"During menstruation, rest is crucial because all our hormones shut down," Sukhina emphasised. "Forcing yourself during this time leads to burnout; giving yourself rest is essential."

The health stakes

The consequences of ignoring these biological rhythms extend beyond mere inconvenience. Pushing through the natural need for rest during low-hormone phases, or failing to provide the body with what each phase requires, can contribute to conditions including polycystic ovary syndrome, functional cysts, endometriosis, and adrenal burnout.

"Our menstrual period is the main biological marker of health," Sukhina explained. "A normal flow means we're healthy; if it's off, it signals that something is wrong with our hormones."

Generic biohacking protocols and supplements, developed without consideration for cyclical hormonal fluctuations, often fail to deliver results for women precisely because they ignore this fundamental aspect of female physiology.

Beyond individual adaptation

Understanding the female cycle offers benefits that extend into relationships and workplaces. Partners who comprehend these rhythms can provide more effective support, whilst workplaces that acknowledge cyclical variation in energy and capacity could better harness female talent.

The presentation highlighted how male biology's predictability contrasts with female cyclical variation, noting that "men's biology operates on a daily cycle, predictable every day, but women operate on both daily and monthly cycles. Understanding this can build better relationships."

The path forward

The current state of wellness science reflects a broader pattern of female biology being treated as a deviation from a male norm rather than a distinct system requiring specific understanding. The solution demands more than minor adjustments to existing protocols.

"The future of biohacking must be built on two clocks—not only for males, but also for females—acknowledging our XX chromosome and unique biological rhythms," Sukhina concluded.

This requires dedicated research investment, female-specific wellness protocols, and a fundamental shift in how health and performance optimisation are conceptualised. The menstrual cycle should be viewed not as a limitation but as a source of varying capacities that, when properly understood and supported, can enhance rather than hinder performance and wellbeing.

The conversation about female biology in wellness contexts has often centred on managing symptoms or overcoming limitations. What emerged from the Tokyo summit was a different framework—one that recognises cyclical variation as a feature of female biology that, when properly understood and accommodated, offers its own forms of advantage and insight.

For an industry that prides itself on optimisation and enhancement, the continued neglect of female biological rhythms represents not just an oversight but a missed opportunity. The question now is whether the wellness world will rise to meet this challenge, or whether women will need to build these frameworks themselves.

Frequently asked questions

How much health research funding goes to female health?

Just five percent, according to the presentation in Tokyo. That imbalance leaves women following wellness advice designed for bodies that operate on fundamentally different biological rhythms, and it extends beyond wellness into safety equipment and medical diagnostics built with male bodies as the default template.

Why does female biology need two clocks, not one?

Male biology runs on a predictable 24-hour cycle, with testosterone and cortisol rising in the morning and declining towards evening. Female biology runs on that daily circadian rhythm plus an approximately 28-day hormonal cycle, so energy, mood and capacity shift across the month rather than repeating identically each day.

What happens when the cycle's rest phases are ignored?

Sukhina linked pushing through low-hormone phases to polycystic ovary syndrome, functional cysts, endometriosis and adrenal burnout. She described the menstrual period as the main biological marker of health, and rest during menstruation as crucial because hormone levels are then at their lowest.

About the event

This recap is part of the HOLOLIFE Summit 2025 Tokyo series, recorded in Tokyo on 10 and 11 October 2025. Read the summary of the whole event or join the next edition, HOLOLIFE Summit 2026 Amsterdam, on 14 and 15 November 2026.