The Menstrual Cycle and Athletic Performance
To understand the impact of the menstrual cycle on athletic performance we must first understand the menstrual cycle itself!
The menstrual cycle is a complex physiological process that involves hormonal fluctuations and distinct phases. By comprehending how these phases affect the body, we hope female athletes can optimise their training and performance throughout the month.
Phases of the Menstrual Cycle
The menstrual cycle is typically divided into four phases:
Menstrual Phase (Days 1-5): This phase marks the beginning of the cycle and is characterised by menstrual bleeding. Estrogen and progesterone levels are low during this time. Estrogen is a natural anti-inflammatory and helps to promote muscle growth so some may feel they fatigue quicker than usual and take longer to recover.
Some women feel comfortable exercising during this time, others who experience PMS or period pain by find they need to increase their rest. Understanding how you feel during this phase will guide how you are able to train.
Follicular Phase (Days 6-14): During this phase, estrogen levels begin to rise, stimulating the development of follicles in the ovaries. Estrogen promotes muscle repair and growth, some may find that their performance is best around this period.
Ovulatory Phase (Around Day 14): Ovulation occurs when an egg is released from the ovary. Estrogen levels peak just before ovulation. Estrogen levels also make our connective tissue more mobile and this is a time where we may be more exposed to ligamentous injuries such as ACL injury. Focusing on good biomechanics throughout your training cycle may help to reduce this risk.
Luteal Phase (Days 15-28): Progesterone levels increase at the start of this phase. Progesterone can be thermogenic and can impact our core body temperature. For some athletes this may impact their sleep. So now is the time to focus on good sleep hygeine around this time such as dimming lights, ensuring no screen time before bed etc. Towards the end of this phase both progesterone and estrogen are low. The research this is the time where most athletes are prone to injury. This is the time to ensure that you are eating enough and have a good nutritional intake, prioritising sleep and rest to help minimise the impact of this.
*** Note that only 13% of uterus owners have a 28 day cycle. This is why tracking your changes during your cycle are so important.
The evidence that this stage shows that we cannot explicitly say that the above is true for every female or AFAB athlete and that tracking each individuals cycle is key. But hopefully by understanding your cycle and the influence of hormones you can begin to understand how to use your cycle to your advantage.
*** Another note: If you are taking a contraceptive pill or using hormonal contraception the rise and fall of different hormones is not applicable. At this stage there has been completely mixed evidence of the impact of an oral contraceptive pill on athletic performance. Hopefully with more research we will better understand this impact.
