Female athletes hormonal changes affecting sport

[Talipesmum]

Article here about how, astonishingly, understanding how hormonal changes through female athletes’ menstrual cycles can help to fine tune their training for sport etc.

www.theguardian.com/society/2021/jul/16/sport-science-body-to-track-female-athletes-hormonal-changes-linked-to-menstruation?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Nice and clear, and an area to watch for research and athletic performance in women. Refreshingly straightforward article too..!

[ShallWeStartTheMeeting]

I read this earlier. Very interesting.

[WarriorN]

This is the free app Chelsea use/ had some sort of involvement with. It's really interesting and useful too.

www.fitrwoman.com/

[AuntieStella]

By coincidence I've just seen something in a mainstream book about tracking menstrual cycle as part of training data, and consider altering regime to optimise the effects.

The book is How to Run a Marathon by Vassos Alexander. A number of the chapters feature women runners. And there's a chapter on women's running that mentions the sexism of what distance events are available, periods, importance of pelvic floor and Jo Pavey and the appalling actions of sponsors who drop female runners during pregnancy.

(He's lets himself down a bit though, in another chapter, when he says the only essential kit is trainers. Not if you're a woman - the sports bra should be on that list too, assuming you really do see women as full participants!)

[AuntieStella]

PS: you can add menstrual cycle info to Garmin, and it's got cycle-related training and nutrition advice

It's under the Health & Performance tab.