Breaking the Taboo
How the Menstrual Cycle Affects Athletic Performance
OVERPOWER. OVERTAKE. OVERCOME. – Serena Williams
Physical and psychological changes associated with the menstrual cycle
It has long been suspected that the menstrual cycle significantly affects female performance in sports and athletics. Today, a growing number of scientific studies are confirming this. The evidence points out that the physical and psychological changes associated with the menstrual cycle can negatively impact on women’s ability to compete on the track and field as well as other areas.
Menstrual cycle inhibits their ability to perform
These studies are helping to open up discussion about one of society’s oldest and deeply ingrained taboos. It is in the athletic context that this discussion is, perhaps, finding its best focus. It’s not only men who must break the taboo. Many female athletes are reluctant to talk about how their menstrual cycle inhibits their ability to perform at their best because they don’t want people to think they are playing the ‘girl’ card. Share on X
By monitoring menstrual cycle factors, athletes and their trainers can control for them, allowing women to train and compete at peak or near peak levels.
You control your own wins and losses – Maria Sharapova
Ways in which they impede female athletic prowess
Without going into the complexities of the menstrual cycle and its phases, researchers have identified numerous ways in which they impede female athletic prowess. One recent study looks at how the hormone, Relaxin, which peaks before menstruation begins, can create a general laxity in women’s ligaments, which increases the chances of ligament injury significantly.
Other more immediate physical symptoms that can have an effect include:
- Water retention issues
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Abdominal bloating
- Uterine cramps
- Excessive bleeding
Controlling these symptoms is yet another challenge that female athletes must face. But there are also psychological and emotional effects. These include:
- Change in sleeping pattern
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Stress
- Irritability
These are all potential impediments to optimum performance and success.
Courage, sacrifice, determination, commitment, toughness, heart, talent, guts. That’s what little girls are made of; the heck with sugar and spice – Bethany Hamilton
Metrifit’s monitoring and managing software
As mentioned earlier, the menstrual cycle is complex. And it affects different women in different ways. This makes it hard to keep track of. Metrifit’s athlete monitoring and management software will give you and your coaches and staff, the knowledge and insights you need to minimize the negative effects of the cycle. Metrifit’s menstruation feature allows female athletes to easily monitor their period and symptoms on their daily wellness questionnaire. Individual reports compare symptoms and period dates with our proprietary readiness to perform score and other key indicators.
Metrifit was designed to meet just these kinds of challenges and to help overcome them, allowing the female athlete to train and perform at her best, pushing her body and mind to the utmost limit.
To find out more contact us at or click on ‘Request Demo’ below.
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Metrifit Athlete Monitoring System
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Ryan Osborn
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https://metrifit.com/blog/testimonials/ryan-osborn/
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Metrifit Athlete Monitoring System
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Dan Rickaby
Assistant S&C Coach, Tulane University
https://metrifit.com/blog/testimonials/dan-rickaby/
"When COVID altered college athletics as we knew it, Metrifit came to the rescue. This intuitive athlete monitoring, health and well-being system provides the athlete, coach, and sports medicine staff a way to monitor and balance the physical, emotional, health and well-being of our athlete’s. Metrifit provided that calm in the middle of the perfect storm for our entire athletic department for the future. Thank you to the entire Metrifit family for assisting our department with a seamless process."
Metrifit Athlete Monitoring System
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Jennifer McIntosh
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https://metrifit.com/blog/testimonials/jennifer-mcintosh/
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https://metrifit.com/blog/testimonials/robert-karlsson/
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https://metrifit.com/blog/testimonials/brian-clarke/
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https://metrifit.com/blog/testimonials/robert-walsh-short-testimonial/
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Tino Fusco, B.Sc. ChPC
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https://metrifit.com/blog/testimonials/tino-fusco-b-sc-chpc/
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https://metrifit.com/blog/testimonials/jason-mcgahan/
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https://metrifit.com/blog/testimonials/erik-helland/
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https://metrifit.com/blog/testimonials/cian-oneill-short/
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https://metrifit.com/blog/testimonials/lee-stutely/
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https://metrifit.com/blog/testimonials/graham-williams-short/
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Richard Deuchrass
Lincoln University Athletic Performance Manager
https://metrifit.com/blog/testimonials/richard-deuchrass/
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Kevin Schultz
Associate Director of Strength & Conditioning
Director of Olympic Strength & Conditioning
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https://metrifit.com/blog/testimonials/kevin-schultz-full/
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Yvonne Treacy
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https://metrifit.com/blog/testimonials/yvonne-treacy-short/
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Paul Cremin
Head Physiotherapist, Cornish Pirates Rugby Club
https://metrifit.com/blog/testimonials/paul-cremin-short/
"While working with the Clare Senior Hurling team (2012-2014), Horse Sport Ireland (U25 European Eventing Champions) and currently with the Limerick Senior Hurling Team, Metrifit provides our team with critical information across a number of essential aspects of elite athletic performance. You don’t really know how your players are responding to training stimuli unless you have daily data and Metrifit provides and easy to use and highly effective means of finding this critical information."
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Joe O’Connor
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https://metrifit.com/blog/testimonials/joe-oconnor/
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Aaron Mansfield
Head Coach, LMU Lions, Loyola Marymount University
https://metrifit.com/blog/testimonials/aaron-mansfield/
"Metrifit is an amazingly easy-to-use yet comprehensive monitoring tool for training and recovery! The elite athletes we work with are able track and monitor their situations and states daily, in order to maximize their performance loads and recovery practices. This also helps our coaches customize the training programs more effectively. I'd recommend this for any serious team / athlete or coach in wanting to bring out the very best in their long-term performances! "
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Edgar K. Tham
Founder and Chief Sport & Performance Psychologist, SportPsych Consulting (Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines)
https://metrifit.com/blog/testimonials/edgar-k-tham-2/
"As a school that cannot spend large amounts of money on athlete monitoring, Metrifit has provided us with a great tool for monitoring stress and athlete readiness at a great rate. Being athlete driven, we're able to get buy-in from the athlete, and drive individual or team wide conversations regarding lifestyle and performance education in the direction needed. Seeing acute and chronic stress on a real-time basis has greatly improved the way we schedule workouts and arrange travel during the season."
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Derek Bol
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https://metrifit.com/blog/testimonials/derek-bol/
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Metrifit Athlete Monitoring System
2017-06-16T15:11:55+01:00
Dan Horan
Head of Fitness for International Football/Fitness Coach Men's Senior Team
Football Association of Ireland
https://metrifit.com/blog/testimonials/dan-horan-short/
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Metrifit Athlete Monitoring System
References
Effect of the Menstrual Cycle on Athletic Performance in NCAA Division III Collegiate Athletes by Tremback-Ball et al
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