By Flinster Austin
Published on 2024-04-01 12:28:40
French swimmer Caroline Jouisse has been leading the way in tracking her menstrual cycle using her phone for the past year. This information is crucial for her coaches as she prepares to compete in the Paris Olympics this summer. By tracking her cycle, Jouisse can determine the best time to focus on building her muscles, which is typically in the middle and towards the end of her cycle when her testosterone levels are the highest. Knowing when her testosterone peaks are allows her to feel her best and be at her strongest during training sessions.
Research in sports science has predominantly focused on male athletes, leaving a significant gap in understanding how menstrual cycles can impact athletic performance. Recognizing this disparity, France’s National Institute of Sport (INSEP) launched the Empow’her program in 2020 to track and analyze the menstrual cycles of athletes like Jouisse. The program aims to educate athletes and coaches on the importance of understanding and leveraging menstrual cycle data as part of overall performance management.
During the program, Jouisse’s training sessions were closely monitored and analyzed in relation to the different stages of her menstrual cycle. The data collected included hormonal, cardiac, and psychological information to provide a comprehensive view of how her cycle may impact her performance. This allowed Jouisse to gain a better understanding of her body’s natural rhythms and optimize her training schedule accordingly.
Other athletes, such as French cross-country skier Juliette Ducordeau, also found the Empow’her program beneficial in understanding their bodies better. Ducordeau noticed significant trends in her performance, with optimal training times falling during the ovulation phase of her cycle. These insights have helped athletes like Ducordeau tailor their training regimens to maximize performance based on their menstrual cycle.
Despite the valuable data being collected through programs like Empow’her, there remains a lack of high-quality research on the impact of menstrual cycles on sports performance. Only a small percentage of sports science studies focus on women, leaving a significant gap in understanding how the female body operates in the realm of sports. Researchers continue to explore the variability in symptoms and responses to menstrual cycles among athletes, with some studies indicating significant effects on factors such as fatigue, power, confidence, and focus.
Period tracking gained attention in 2019 when the United States women’s football team attributed part of their success to understanding and leveraging menstrual cycle data. Despite these advancements, some athletes still face challenges in discussing period-related topics with their predominantly male coaches. There is a growing need to raise awareness and educate coaches on the importance of understanding menstrual cycles in optimizing athletic performance.
As athletes gear up for the Paris Olympics, there is a renewed focus on menstrual cycle tracking and its impact on performance. Studies have shown that athletes may perform better on average during certain phases of their menstrual cycle, highlighting the importance of incorporating cycle tracking into training programs. The hope is that more athletes and coaches will recognize the value of understanding and leveraging menstrual cycle data to enhance overall performance and well-being.
