Managing irregular or absent periods is important for female health and performance. To empower your female participants to do this, pay attention to the conversations you have on the topic, and ensure that your participants know that they have your support.
In this video, Natalie Brown explains the three most common approaches:
- avoidance
- confrontation
- support.
Out of those three, aiming to be supportive is the best approach to take.
To support your female participants, try:
- initiating coach-athlete conversations about the menstrual cycle
- securing parent involvement where required, ensuring that they are aware of the importance of talking about the menstrual cycle and that they are aware of the hallmarks of a regular cycle
- initiating coach-to-coach conversations to help support one another, learn about the menstrual cycle, and share positive experiences of how to approach the topic and incorporate it within training.