Coaching Female Athletes to Benefit Female Athletes: The Menstrual Cycle

The insight and support available to strength and conditioning coaches on how to adapt training to minimise the potential effects of menstruation on performance or to maximise physiological adaptation is currently minimal. This is attributed to two factors: the under-representation of female athletes in sport science and medicine research, and that we haven’t yet consistently established an environment that allows for the discussion of the menstrual cycle within physical activity and sport.