Menstrual Cycle and Athletic Performance
Ever feel like your performance goes up and down? Feel fatigued but unsure why? Do you ever feel mentally exhausted? Where you are in your menstrual cycle can impact our performance, energy levels and mental wellbeing.
As athletes, there will always be times when we feel that we’re not performing as well as we know we can. Sometimes, this is because it mentally feels like it takes more effort to ‘gear’ ourselves up to play a game or attend a training session, we can suffer from mental fatigue. However, sometimes it can impact us physically. We might try to perform as well as we did in the previous game we played, or the last training session we attended, yet, despite what we feel is our best efforts, our performance just isn’t as good as we know it can be. This can often be extremely frustrating and disheartening. However, it’s important to know it can be down to a number of different things.
As females, a hugely influential factor to our game, can be our hormones and how they fluctuate, including our menstrual cycle. It happens to all of us and it’s a normal part of being female. Until now and for some reason, it’s something that is just not spoken about enough. It is even avoided and not even taught about enough. Often this leads to us not allowing ourselves a little breather if hormonally, we’re not in a time of the month where we know, our athletic game is at its best.
Recently, there have been several studies that show a link between the menstrual cycle and our performance athletically. It can affect:
- Cardiovascular stamina
- Strength
- Motor neuron skills
- Mood and mindset
All of which are needed in a game of basketball. In addition to this, other symptoms can be:
- Headaches
- Bloating
- Acne
- Breast tenderness
Symptoms that may also knock you off your game.
Menstrual Cycle Phases
![Menstrual Cycle Menstrual Cycle](https://i0.wp.com/hrmbasketball.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Menstrual-Cycle.png?resize=1000%2C698&ssl=1)
One of the most common themes is, there is a significant difference of our fatigability in the follicular phase (first two weeks of our menstrual month) and the luteal phase (our last two weeks). It shows we tend to get more tired during those last two weeks before our ovulation, on day 14 where things start to shift.
It’s not just energy that can waiver during our time of the month either. One study tested female musculoskeletal strength in young females at different phases of the menstrual cycle. In short, it showed that our reproductive hormones increase muscle strength in the follicular stage of the menstrual cycle. Thus making us stronger in the first two weeks of our menstrual month.
Whilst, like most things, there is still more research that needs to be done. It’s important to understand the impact the menstrual cycle can have on athletic performance. At the very least, both coaches and players should be aware of these effects. As coaches, it is important to be aware that some weeks out of the month, females may require more breaks on the court to allow them to play optimally. Both in training and in games. Their strength may not be as good as the week previously and they may fatigue quicker. Training may need to be adapted as a result.
It’s important for players to take this into consideration when assessing and comparing progress. At hrm basketball, we always recommend that, rather than comparing your performance from one week to the next, compare your performance depending on your phase in the menstrual cycle. This will give you a much more accurate indicator of progress and performance, in our opinion as a week on week fluctuation is normal.
Things you can do to help during your Menstrual Cycle
Whilst hormone fluctuation is normal and part of being a healthy female (and male) you can support your body to help limit the symptoms of this. One of them is what we eat.
- Omega –3 (found in oily fish avocado, walnuts and chia and linseeds) has been branded the ‘backbone’ of hormone production, it helps keep us in check. We suggest trying to get more of these into your diet, at least a handful size portion of any of these foods listed, three times a week
- B vitamins – these are essential for energy production so can help with that menstrual cycle fatigue. B vitamins are found in our leafy green veg (broccoli and spinach), eggs and cheese
- Protein can help us musculoskeletally – I know you’ve heard us at hrm basketball talk about this before. A handful size at every meal is essential.
Of course, try your meat and fish but if you’re veggie or vegan why not try some beans, lentils and chickpeas? Your walnuts and other nuts count too - Magnesium – this is a mineral involved in over 300 enzymic reactions in the body – one being musculoskeletal health, one being sleep and another being menstrual health. You can’t go wrong with the benefits of magnesium! Get some from almonds, pumpkin or sesame seeds and again, those leafy greens. You could even try adding some Epsom salts into your bath on an evening – they can support with the menstrual cramping too.
- Sleep! Try and make sure you’re getting into a good nightly routine to help give you the best chance of a decent night sleep. Minimise blue light of your tv or phone – or at the very least shift it to ‘night mode’. In addition, a regular routine helps too. Try and get into bed at a similar time most evenings, keep your room as dark as you are comfortable with and try not to have it too hot. If you’re really struggling, breathing exercises and relaxation are often beneficial.
Final Note
One of the main things to remember is that everyone is an individual. Meaning that each individual will be impacted differently and different strategies will work for each person. Most all, remember to give yourself some leeway, don’t make yourself worse by trying to push on, persevere and keep up with everyone else. Sometimes we have to listen to our body. Finally, even though it is difficult, a conversation between players and coaches is vital.
As with all our resources, they should not replace diagnosis and management from a medical professional. Always check before you follow the guidance.