Female Athletes’ Perceptions of Menstrual Cycle and Training

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Table of Contents

Physiology of Menstruation
Gaps in the Literature
Perceived Impact on Training and Performance
Athlete Individual Experiences
Barriers to Conversation about Menstrual Cycle
Objective and Importance of the Study
References

The menstrual cycle is one of the most important biological processes that affect most females’ behavior and moods. It is a normal physiological process; however, most women feel and suggest that the information on menstruation’s physiology should shift the approach to subjective and personal experiences. Studies show that nearly half of sportswomen feel embarrassed about menstrual periods (Brown et al., 2021). Despite the efforts to stop this stigma and shame through campaigns, it still exists, especially in the sports sector and broader areas of society.

Physiology of Menstruation

For regular body functioning and homeostasis, there must be proper coordination of various organs. Chemical communication between different body structures ensures the importance of every organism to respond appropriately to external and internal environmental changes. Hormonal communication entails producing the hormones by various glands and transmission of the same to their end-organ through the bloodstream. The hypothalamus plays a critical role in the making and regulating of hormones necessary for sexual functions, sleep-wake cycle, appetite, emotions, behaviors, heart rate, blood pressure, and temperatures (Matsuda et al., 2020). The menstrual cycle results from ovarian, hypothalamus, and hypophyseal hormones, which initiate and maintain various changes in the female reproductive system.

The cycle has two main phases: the luteal and follicular stages associated with hormonal fluctuations. The female procreative hormones affect the reproductive and cardiovascular systems, thermoregulation, and other metabolic parameters (Julian et al., 2020). There has been scarce data on the menstrual cycle’s effects and reproductive hormones on sports performance (Elliott-Sale et al., 2020). Although, each of the above stages of the monthly cycle can affect the performance of females in sports.

Gaps in the Literature

Most of these effects have not been accounted for in the collected works. Even though many studies continue to emerge, there still exist many unanswered queries (Janse DE Jonge et al., 2019). Further questions arise in consideration of contraceptives whose primary aim is to prevent pregnancy. The exogenous hormones can have significant effects on exercise and sports performance. There has been confounding of the literature due to various hormonal contraceptives (Brown et al., 2021). Some contain estrogen, and others combine both estrogen and progesterone. The mechanism of actions and routes of administration differ, and this increases the complexity of the issue. The various types can increase or decrease the experiences of female athletes.

Perceived Impact on Training and Performance

Precise understanding of menstrual cycle effects on sports performance is critical for the coaches and the sports professionals for appropriate prescription training and ensuring the wellbeing and health of the sportswomen. Estrogen affects the cardiovascular system, brain, and metabolism, while progesterone influences energy fuel, thermoregulation, and ventilation (Romero-Moraleda, et al., 2019). Some studies have cited higher cardiovascular training during the luteal phase in moderate physical exercise (Julian et al., 2017). In the mid-luteal phase, the time to exhaustion decreased in hot conditions due to the elevated temperatures. More studies are needed on the menstrual cycle’s effects on prolonged exercise performance (Julian et al., 2017). Additionally, the psychological and behavioral symptoms associated with the cycle can cause lethargy, fatigue. little exhaustion time and poor concentration

Athlete Individual Experiences

There is limited literature informing sports professionals on maximizing exercise performance and the adaptation mechanisms. Informed approaches have been a challenge to people working in sport as there is scarce data on female elite athletes (Findlay et al., 2020). Studies have indicated menstrual cycle impacted the sports and performance of that 51.1% of British sportswomen (Brown et al., 2021). Furthermore, all the Olympic athletics happen in all phases of the cycle. There are symptoms and experience variations between individuals and, therefore, the need to explore personal perceptions and experiences.

Barriers to Conversation about Menstrual Cycle

Despite the menstrual cycle’s physiological and psychological effects, most women find it difficult to discuss issues surrounding it. Findlay et al. (2020) state that the female rugby players found it challenging and uneasy to keep menstrual-related conversations with their male counterparts. Womenfolk still conceal menstruation issues, and the culture and social media have enhanced this. Many adverts have a consistent theme of emphasizing dirtiness, secrecy, and social embarrassments. This sends the message to the viewers and readers to conceal menstruation and potentiates its negative attitudes. Some players have expressed reluctance and unwillingness to talk about it within the elite sports teams with their coaches (McNulty et al., 2020). Communication is critical when focusing on the practices and and awareness of the menstrual cycle.

Furthermore, high-level female athletes are likely to have male trainers, and studies have questioned the coaches’ ability to address issues that are inclined to the female gender. There is a need for more research on increasing the knowledge on the perception and lived experiences of professional players across many sporting activities with a focus on conversations on the menstrual cycle (Elliott-Sale et al., 2020). The absence of such discussions within the team may negatively impact their performance.

Objective and Importance of the Study

This paper aims to explore the current literature on the experiences and perceive the impact of the menstrual cycle on the sporting presentation of sportswomen. It is essential to understand how elite female athletes perceive the menstrual cycle’s effects on their performance. The data can inform the coaches’ best practices and support in resolving issues related to health, wellbeing, and performance. It can also be used to encourage menstrual dialogue among women in other sports activities. The study’s findings can be used as the basis for further research on specific effects. The research will examine three aspects of the issue including, menstrual cycle female athlete’s individual experiences pre and at the onset of menstruation, perceived impact of MC symptoms on training, and competition. Lastly, the study will assess the responses and barriers/practices menstrual cycle conversations among elite female athletes.

References

Brown, N., Knight, C. J., & Forrest Née Whyte, L. J. (2021). Elite female athletes’ experiences and perceptions of the menstrual cycle on training and sports performance.Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 31(1), 52–69. Web.

Elliott-Sale, K., Ross, E., Burden, R., & Hicks, K. (2020). The bases expert statement on conducting and implementing female athlete-based research.The Sport and Exercise Scientist, (65), 6-7. Web.

Findlay, R. J., Macrae, E., Whyte, I. Y., Easton, C., & Forrest Née Whyte, L. J. (2020). How the menstrual cycle and menstruation affect sporting performance: Experiences and perceptions of elite female rugby players.British Journal of Sports Medicine, 54(18), 1108–1113. Web.

Janse DE Jonge, X., Thompson, B., & Han, A. (2019). Methodological Recommendations for Menstrual Cycle Research in Sports and Exercise.Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 51(12), 2610–2617. Web.

Julian, R., Hecksteden, A., Fullagar, H. H., & Meyer, T. (2017). The effects of the menstrual cycle phase on physical performance in female soccer players.Plos One, 12(3), e0173951. Web.

Matsuda, T., Furuhata, T., Ogata, H., Kamemoto, K., Yamada, M., & Sakamaki-Sunaga, M. (2020). Effects of the menstrual cycle on serum carnitine and endurance performance of women.International Journal of Sports Medicine, 41(7), 443–449. Web.

McNulty, K. L., Elliott-Sale, K. J., Dolan, E., Swinton, P. A., Ansdell, P., Goodall, S., Thomas, K., & Hicks, K. M. (2020). The Effects of Menstrual Cycle Phase on Exercise Performance in Eumenorrheic Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 50(10), 1813–1827. Web.

Romero-Moraleda, B., Coso, J. D., Gutiérrez-Hellín, J., Ruiz-Moreno, C., Grgic, J., & Lara, B. (2019). The Influence of the Menstrual Cycle on Muscle Strength and Power Performance. Journal of human kinetics, 68, 123–133. Web.

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