The effects of menstrual cycle on ultra-runners Analysis of the belief, prejudice or perception of the effects of menstrual cycle in women

Emakume korrikalariek hilekoaren eraginari buruz dituzten uste, sinesmen, aurreiritzi edo pertzepzioen azterketa

Abstract

Introduction. Over the last years, there has been a rise in the number of women practicing physical exercise, even at the professional level. The menstrual cycle is one of the most important biological rhythms in women, along with the circadian rhythm. It is evident that there is a gap of knowledge on the anatomical and physiological differences between men and women. That is why we wanted to study the effects of menstrual cycle on exercise performance in ultra-marathon runners.

Objectives. The aim of this study is to examine the subjective impact of the menstrual cycle on sports performance on ultra-distance runners.

Methods. We have performed an observational-descriptive study. First, we performed a bibliographic review. Then, we created a survey. This survey was sent to the women who had participated in the 2022 edition of the three modalities of “Ehunmilak” race.

Results. According to available bibliography, changes in performance at different stages of the menstrual cycle are subjective, and there is a considerable individual variability. In general, there is no scientific evidence of quality indicating that the menstrual cycle affects the performance of athletes. The survey was completed by 46 women, and when asked whether the menstrual cycle has a subjective impact on their sports performance, 35 women (76.1%) responded positively. When asked what this influence was like objectively, based on training and race results, 23 women (50%) replied that their performance was lower when they were on menstruation phase. No differences have been found between hormonal contraceptive users and non-users in subjective and objective performance.

Conclusion. A large proportion of ultra-distance runners declare that their performance is affected by different phases of the menstrual cycle. However, the existing bibliography does not support this hypothesis. We must continue to investigate along these lines.