The menstrual cycle, a neglected factor in sports performance

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A study conducted with 228 basketball players warns that menstrual cycle alterations are prevalent among elite athletes and that this can affect both their well-being and their performance. The collective research, carried out by Pilar Crespo, Nuria Herranz, Víctor Estella, Esther Morencos, María Herranz and Gil Roda, head of the medical area at Barça Innovation Hub , concludes that more research is needed to better understand the effects on athletes' quality of life, performance, and susceptibility to injuries.More than three-quarters of the players surveyed reported dysmenorrhea (86.8%) and premenstrual syndrome (77.6%). In addition, more than half of the athletes stated they had heavy menstrual bleeding during menstruation and a quarter of the players included in the study reported having had amenorrhea at some point in their menstrual life.Previous research had shown how menstruation-related symptoms, such as abdominal cramps, tiredness, or fatigue, can limit players' training capacity, but the specific characteristics of the menstrual cycle and its relationship with performance, well-being, and injuries in athletes are not well understood. This cross-sectional study aimed to better understand the characteristics of the menstrual cycle (menarche, length, dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, etc.) and the use of hormonal contraceptives among elite basketball players.More than 70% of women experience symptoms such as mood swings, fatigue, and physical discomfort during the premenstrual phase. In addition, the majority suffer from primary dysmenorrhea, intense and debilitating pain. Half of women also report intense cramps, nausea, or headaches. To avoid these types of discomfort during important moments of the season, it is not unusual for female athletes to resort to hormonal contraceptives, as they help control the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, dysmenorrhea, and other conditions. Pills suppress ovulation and reduce the thickness of the endometrium, which decreases prostaglandin production and, consequently, uterine contractions and menstrual pain. The problem is the side effects; weight changes and breast tenderness and pain. A quarter of the study participants reported using hormonal contraceptives. The most used (23.2%) was the oral pill.The researchers' conclusion is that more research and preventive and healthcare measures are needed for female athletes, because the prevalence of menstrual symptoms is high, cycle alterations are relatively frequent and can affect performance and increase the risk of injury. And it is especially relevant that many players do not have regular medical check-ups. Studies designed for men As Raúl Medina, co-founder of Drop It, warns, there is a deficit in the monitoring of women's health in sports. “80% or 90% of sports studies are conducted excluding female physiology, and therefore, training advice is made thinking about the hormonal bases of men. Many studies tell women they have to train like men. This, fortunately, is changing, because otherwise the results are not optimal,” he says.