Elite athletes are always searching for percentage-point improvements. Some sportswomen have been trying a new tack—working with menstrual-cycle coaches
Save time by listening to our audio articles as you multitaskGood data concerning the effects of menstruation on athletic performance are scant. However, according to four studies conducted in 2020 on more than 250 athletes from a range of sports, more than half of sportswomen believe their performance fluctuates with the phase of their menstrual cycle. In particular, many said they suffered in the weeks immediately before and during menstruation.
At this point women have increased appetites, higher internal temperatures, higher resting heart rates and higher respiratory drive. They also retain water and salt, causing them to put on weight. Their heat tolerance is reduced, too. And their moods and emotional regulation suffer. Here, then, is fertile ground for quite a few of those percentage-point improvements. And that is where menstrual-cycle-savvy coaches come in.
Such a one-size-fits-all approach may, though, be overly simple. Kirsty Elliott-Sale, a professor at Manchester Metropolitan University, in Britain, thinks there is, as yet, no conclusive scientific evidence to back phase-based training. However, while wary of general guidelines, Dr Elliott-Sale sees the merits of an individualised approach which takes account both of monthly variation within an individual and inter-individual variability.
Maddy Cope, a professional climber and coach in Britain, emphasises the need to bridge the gap between where research stands and how athletes feel. She notes, for example, that most research does not translate well to her own discipline.
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