Abstract
The effect of the menstrual cycle on physical performance is being increasingly recognised as a key consideration for women’s sport and a critical field for further research. This narrative review explores the findings of studies investigating the effects of menstrual cycle phase on perceived and objectively measured performance in an athletic population. Studies examining perceived performance consistently report that female athletes identify their performance to be relatively worse during the early follicular and late luteal phases. Studies examining objective performance (using anaerobic, aerobic or strength-related tests) do not report clear, consistent effects of the impact of menstrual cycle phase on physical performance. Overall sport performance can be influenced by both perceived and physical factors. Hence, to optimise performance and management of eumenorrheic female athletes, there is a need for further research to quantify the impact of menstrual cycle phase on perceived and physical performance outcomes and to identify factors affecting variability in objective performance outcomes between studies.
Highlights
Elements of physiology unique to females, such as fluctuating female sex hormone concentrations throughout different phases of the menstrual cycle (MC), may be an important consideration for optimising the performance and maintaining the health of female athletes
The studies included in this review provide important insights into the experiences of female athletes; there are some limitations in these studies
A substantial proportion of female athletes believe their performance is impacted by MC phase, but the research pertaining to objective measures of performance throughout the MC in eumenorrheic athletes does not provide a definitive indication of how performance may fluctuate throughout the MC
Summary
Elements of physiology unique to females, such as fluctuating female sex hormone concentrations throughout different phases of the menstrual cycle (MC), may be an important consideration for optimising the performance and maintaining the health of female athletes. Much of the research in the field of sports science has been conducted on males [1]. The findings of this research have been inappropriately applied to female athletes [2]. Studying the impact of MC phase on physical performance is one significant component needed to develop a female evidence base in sports science [2]. The development of this evidence base could enhance understanding of how the MC may impact athletes and inform how training, recovery and athlete monitoring programs are designed and delivered considering MC phase.
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