The psychological impact of the menstrual cycle on athletic performance
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51224/SRXIV.503Keywords:
menstrual cycle, psychological impact, athletic performance, female athletes, women’s sport, gender equalityAbstract
This study investigates the psychological impact of the menstrual cycle (MC) on athletic performance among 50 professional, national, and regional-level female athletes in France, representing nine sports disciplines; rugby, football, track and field, volleyball, basketball, fencing, triathlon, swim-run, and water polo. Participants completed a 30-item questionnaire assessing the perceived influence of their MC on training and competition, followed by semi-structured interviews with a subset of participants to delve deeper into their experiences.
The study focused on four thematic areas: medical approach and menstrual tracking, relationship with coaches, perception of MC impact on performance, and the extent of its influence on outcomes. Findings reveal that MC-related psychological fluctuations—manifesting as shifts in motivation, focus, effort thresholds, and levels of stress and anxiety—significantly impact performance perception. However, menstrual tracking and its integration into training regimens remain inconsistent.
The study highlights the need for sports organizations and coaches to address the MC's psychological effects in athlete care, promoting tailored training strategies to enhance well-being and performance. Future research should integrate hormonal and psychological assessments to clarify correlations between MC phases and performance and explore effective interventions for managing the MC’s impact in sports contexts.
Metrics
References
Badenhorst CE. The Menstrual Health Manager (MHM): A Resource to Reduce Discrepancies Between Science and Practice in Sport and Exercise. Sports Med. 2024 Nov;54(11):2725-2741. doi: 10.1007/s40279-024-02061-w. Epub 2024 Jun 21. PMID: 38904920; PMCID: PMC11561008./
Brown, N., Knight, C. J., & Forrest (née Whyte), L. J. (2021). Elite female athletes’ experiences and perceptions of the menstrual cycle on training and sport performance. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 31(1), 52–69. https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.13818
Carmichael MA, Thomson RL, Moran LJ, Wycherley TP. The Impact of Menstrual Cycle Phase on Athletes' Performance: A Narrative Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Feb 9;18(4):1667. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18041667. PMID: 33572406; PMCID: PMC7916245.
Clear J. (2015). This Coach Improved Every Tiny Thing by 1 Percent and Here’s What Happened, Retrieved from James Clear's Website, https://jamesclear.com/marginal-gains
Constantini, N. W., Dubnov, G., & Lebrun, C. M. (2005). The Menstrual Cycle and Sport Performance. Clinics in Sports Medicine, 24(2), e51–e82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csm.2005.01.003
Ekenros, L., von Rosen, P., Solli, G. S., Sandbakk, Ø., Holmberg, H.-C., Hirschberg, A. L., & Fridén, C. (2022). Perceived impact of the menstrual cycle and hormonal contraceptives on physical exercise and performance in 1,086 athletes from 57 sports. Frontiers in Physiology, 13, 954760. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2022.954760
Findlay RJ, Macrae EHR, Whyte IY, et al How the menstrual cycle and menstruation affect sporting performance: experiences and perceptions of elite female rugby players British Journal of Sports Medicine 2020;54:1108-1113
Hayes E, Chelsea FC, 2020, Chelsea Women tailor training to players' menstrual cycles, Retrieved from https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/chelsea-women-tailor-training-to-players-menstrual-cycles
Martínez-Fortuny N, Alonso-Calvete A, Da Cuña-Carrera I, Abalo-Núñez R. Menstrual Cycle and Sport Injuries: A Systematic Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Feb 13;20(4):3264. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20043264. PMID: 36833966; PMCID: PMC9958828
McNulty KL, Elliott-Sale KJ, Dolan E, et al. The Effects of Menstrual Cycle Phase on Exercise Performance in Eumenorrheic Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Med. 2020;50(10):1813-1827. doi:10.1007/s40279-020-01319-3
Meijen, C., & Martin, E. A. (2024). ‘I don’t want to be seen as period prone’: An exploration of psychological strategies used across the menstrual cycle. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 19(6), 2366-2375
Paul, R. W., Sonnier, J. H., Johnson, E. E., et al. (2023). Inequalities in the evaluation of male versus female athletes in sports medicine research: A systematic review. American Journal of Sports Medicine, 51(12), 3335-3342.
Reed, S. C., Levin, F. R., & Evans, S. M. (2008). Changes in mood, cognitive performance and appetite in the late luteal and follicular phases of the menstrual cycle in women with and without PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder). Hormones and Behavior, 54(1), 185–193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2008.02.018
Sanchez, B. N., Kraemer, W. J., & Maresh, C. M. (2023). Premenstrual Syndrome and Exercise: A Narrative Review. Women, 3(2), Article 2. https://doi.org/10.3390/women3020026
Slater, M. (2012). Olympic cycling: Marginal gains underpin Team GB dominance. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/19174302 .
Strine, T. W., Chapman, D. P., & Ahluwalia, I. B. (2005, May 25). Menstrual-Related Problems and Psychological Distress among Women in the United States (2 Madison Avenue Larchmont, NY 10538 USA) [Research-article]. Https://Home.Liebertpub.Com/Jwh; Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. 2 Madison Avenue Larchmont, NY 10538 USA. https://doi.org/10.1089/jwh.2005.14.316
Tribes for Good, (2024). The impact of menstruation on female athletes. https://www.tribesforgood.com/periods-in-sports-impact-of-menstruation-on-female-athletes
Wilson HC. A critical review of menstrual synchrony research. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 1992 Nov;17(6):565-91. doi: 10.1016/0306-4530(92)90016-z. PMID: 1287678
Witkoś, J., & Hartman-Petrycka, M. (2021). The Influence of Running and Dancing on the Occurrence and Progression of Premenstrual Disorders. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(15), Article 15. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18157946
Downloads
Additional Files
Posted
Categories
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Scott Gilmour (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
