The Menstrual Cycle: Does It Affect Athletic Performance?

Abstract

In brief Although many female athletes PMN (and their coaches) are convinced BEBB that their athletic performance is impaired during certain phases of their menstrual cycles, studies examining the relationship between performance and cycle phase are few and have yielded conflicting results. This study investigated the influence of cycle phase on strength performance and on swimming performance in short-and middle-distance events. The results indicate that cycle phase does not affect athletic performance as measured by strength and swimming speed.