How do female athletes deal with their periods?

Some athletes monitor their periods to ensure they are able to train and compete at optimum times in their cycle. In a short film interview with Women’s Health, Lioness and Chelsea FC football player Fran Kirby said her team uses the “Fit For Women” monitoring app to track their cycles and train accordingly.

Do female Olympic athletes have periods?

High Performing Female Athletes Are Getting Regular Periods. Your menstrual cycle DOES affect how you feel, and how you feel DOES affect your performance…..it’s COMPLETELY NORMAL…and its time we talk about it!

Does menstruation affect female athletes?

Most of the athletes said that they had a painful menstruation period, and that their pain decreased, while in competition (Kishali et al., 2006) and their physical performance was not affected by their menstrual period.

Do athletes perform better on their period?

The follicular phase and athletic performance With a lower level of hormones during the first phase of your menstrual cycle, your body is primed to maximize hard training efforts. This means your body is better able to access stored carbohydrates, making this an ideal time for high-intensity training.

Why do athletes stop menstruating?

Amenorrhoea is the absence of menstrual periods. Women who are elite athletes or who exercise excessively on a regular basis are at risk of developing athletic amenorrhoea. Causes are thought to include low levels of body fat and the effects of exercise-related hormones on the menstrual cycle.

How does menstruation affect performance?

Share on Pinterest PMS can cause dizziness, nausea and muscle cramps, which could hinder some women’s athletic performance. Changes to the body during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle also include increases in breathing and body temperature.

How do periods affect performance?

How the menstrual cycle may affect female athletic training and performance. A recent study indicated that approximately 75\% of athletes experience negative side effects due to menses. The most common side effects include cramps, back pain, headaches, and bloating.

How periods affect sports performance?

First 14 days after the menstruation began, 71\% of the athletes said that they felt themselves well. 71\% of the athletes felt worst just before the menstruation period, 62.2\% of the athletes said that their performance was same during the menstruation, and 21.2\% said that their performance got worse.

Why do female athletes have smaller breasts?

Differences in breast size are due mainly to fatty tissue and the response of the glandular tissue to hormones. Lean athletes usually have smaller breasts because of their overall lower percentage of body fat.

How do female swimmers manage during periods?

Swimming during your period isn’t a problem. However, you will want to use a tampon when swimming so you don’t bleed on your swimsuit. Pads won’t work and will just fill with water. The tampon won’t fall out if it is inserted correctly, so go ahead and make a splash!

How do female athletes manage their periods?

Some female athletes also use birth control pills to manipulate their periods, but it is advised not to pop these pills right before an event, since it could lead to decreased performance levels. There’s another way female athletes manage their periods, and that’s by using a period tracker.

How does your period affect your performance?

Female athletes everywhere know their period will affect how they feel, and how they feel will affect how they perform. Although skipping a few periods or missing a period all together could seem attractive for a female who feels like crap on her period, a missing period or dysfunctional cycle is a HUGE warning sign that cannot be ignored.

Why do female athletes need so much energy?

Female athletes training double digits in hours per week are exposing their bodies to high amounts of stress and fatigue. To recover from this fatigue, the body needs energy. What should you do if your periods are off?

Should periods be talked about more in sport?

But Laura Trott, who broke records after taking home two gold medals from Rio, says she thinks it’s important we talk about things like periods. The more we do, the less taboo there is, she points out. “It does need to be talked about more, especially in sport.