## I. The Reality of Your Anatomy: The “Faulty Blueprint”

Most people have connective tissue that acts like a steel cable—strong, rigid, and reliable. In EDS, your genetic blueprint for collagen (the most abundant protein in your body) is different. Your “cables” act more like worn-out rubber bands.

The Triple-Threat Comorbidity (The Triad)

It is rarely just the joints. Most EDS athletes navigate three interconnected systems:

1. EDS (Connective Tissue): Loose joints, stretchy skin, and fragile blood vessels.
2. POTS (The Pump): Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome. This is a dysfunction of the nervous system where your blood pools in your legs, causing your heart to race and making you feel dizzy when you stand or exercise.
3. MCAS (The Alarm): Mast Cell Activation Syndrome. Your immune cells are “twitchy,” releasing histamine at the wrong times, causing “random” joint pain, brain fog, and fatigue.

## II. Training Philosophy: Stability vs. Mobility

In the fitness world, everyone wants more “range of motion.” You already have too much. Your training is about creating stiffness.

The “No-Lockout” Rule

When you lock out a joint (like snapping your knees back at the top of a squat), you are “resting” on your ligaments. Since your ligaments are loose, the joint becomes unstable.

• The Strategy: Stop 5-10 degrees short of a full lockout. This keeps the muscles engaged as the primary stabilizers.

Proprioception & Mapping

Because your joints are loose, your brain often loses track of where your limbs are (this is why EDS folks often “clumsily” bump into doorways).

• The Strategy: We use Closed-Kinetic Chain movements. When your hand is fixed to a floor or a bar, your brain gets a massive “data upload” about where that joint is, which prevents injury.

Isometrics: The “Brake” System

We use isometric holds (holding a position without moving) to strengthen the “end-range” of your muscles. This teaches your body how to “brake” before a joint slips out of place.

## III. The Menstrual Cycle & The Histamine-Estrogen Loop

For female athletes, your cycle is the primary driver of your “good days” and “bad days.”

Why You Feel “Loose” During Ovulation

Estrogen peaks twice in your cycle (around Day 12 and Day 22). Estrogen is a mast cell trigger, meaning it tells your body to dump histamine. Histamine makes your connective tissue more “lax” or stretchy.

• The Luteal Phase (The Week Before Your Period): This is the high-risk zone. Your body is dealing with high hormone turnover and high histamine. This is when your POTS will flare and your joints will feel “wobbly.”

The Training Periodization

• Days 1–10 (The Power Phase): Estrogen is low. You are at your strongest and most stable. We push the weights here.
• Days 11–14 (The Caution Phase): The ovulation spike. We focus on form over weight.
• Days 21–28 (The Stability Phase): High histamine. We switch to higher reps, more isometrics, and focus heavily on hydration.

## IV. Nutritional Reinforcement

We don’t just eat for “macros”; we eat for structural integrity.

The Structural Protein Requirement

Your body has a high “turnover” rate for collagen. You need a constant stream of the right amino acids to rebuild what is breaking down.

• Key Aminos: Glycine, Proline, and Lysine.
• The Source: We prioritize high-quality animal proteins, bone broths, and collagen peptides.

The “Freshness” Rule (Histamine Management)

Histamine levels in food increase the longer the food is stored.

• The Hack: Cook it and eat it, or cook it and freeze it immediately. Leftovers sitting in the fridge for 2–3 days are “histamine bombs” that can trigger a joint flare.

Hydration for POTS

Your blood vessels are “stretchy,” so blood struggles to get back up to your brain.

• The Solution: We use aggressive sodium loading (LMNT, sea salt, etc.) and high water intake to “stiffen” the blood vessels and keep your blood pressure high enough to fuel your brain during a workout.

## V. Targeted Supplementation & Peptides

This is the “Advanced” section of your program, aimed at fixing what the genetic code missed.

## VI. Your Daily Check-In (The SPH Metric)

To manage your program, I need you to report three specific numbers every morning.

1. Stability Score (1-10): How “anchored” do you feel? (1 = feeling like a noodle; 10 = feeling solid).
2. POTS Score (1-10): How is your dizziness? (1 = blacking out; 10 = perfectly clear).
3. Histamine Score (1-10): Any itching, flushing, or brain fog? (1 = systemic flare; 10 = no symptoms).

## VII. Summary: The Path Forward

You are not “broken”; you are just “unanchored.” My job as your coach is to provide the anchors through:

• Specific movement that builds a muscular corset.
• Precision nutrition that lowers systemic “noise” (histamine).
• Smart supplementation that supports your liver and your ligaments.

We will not chase “flexibility.” We will chase stiffness, strength, and stability.

This Weekly Stability & Bio-Feedback Tracker is the final piece of your handbook. It turns the abstract concepts of the “Hormone-Histamine Loop” into hard data that you and your client can use to adjust training volume in real-time.

# THE EDS WEEKLY STABILITY TRACKER

Goal: To identify the “Invisible Triggers” that cause joint laxity and POTS flares.

How to Use This Tool:

1. Morning Check: Complete the scores before your first meal.
2. Training Note: Circle if you trained that day.
3. The “Flare” Column: Note if you had high-histamine food (leftovers, wine, aged cheese) or if you are in your “High-Estrogen” cycle window.

CLICK HERE FOR A PRINTABLE VERSION

## Weekly Data Log

Scoring Key:

• Stability: 10 = Feeling “tight” and secure; 1 = Frequent subluxations or “floppy” joints.
• POTS: 10 = No dizziness; 1 = Heart racing, vision darkens when standing.
• Histamine: 10 = Clear mind and skin; 1 = Itchy, flushed, extreme brain fog.

## Troubleshooting Your Results

The “Stability-POTS” Connection

If your POTS score is low (high dizziness), your Stability score will usually follow. This is because low blood volume reduces the oxygen to your muscles, making them “give out” and forcing your loose ligaments to take the load.

• Fix: Double your salt/electrolyte intake 30 minutes before your next session.

The “Histamine-Laxity” Connection

If you see a spike in Histamine (itchy/foggy) alongside a drop in Stability, your Mast Cells are likely degranulating. This “softens” the connective tissue.

• Fix: Switch to the “Flash-Freeze” meal method and ensure you are taking your Quercetin and DIM consistently.

## Monthly Phase Review

At the end of the month, look back at your “Cycle Day” column:

• The Power Window (Days 1–10): Did your scores peak here? (This is your window for PRs).
• The Ovulation Wobble (Days 12–14): Did your Stability score dip suddenly? (This is your window for Isometrics).
• The Luteal Inflammatory Phase (Days 21–28): Did Histamine and POTS flare together? (This is your window for DIM, Calcium D-Glucarate, and active recovery).

## Coach’s Notes for the Client

“I don’t expect 10s across the board. The goal of this tracker is to help us stop ‘fighting’ your biology and start working with it. When we see a dip in your scores, we don’t skip the gym—we simply pivot to the ‘Stability Protocol’ (higher tension, lower impact) until your scores recover.”