Interview study, 2022
How does the menstrual cycle affect female footballers' on-field performance?
All elite female footballers perceived their menstrual cycle to harm their performance, most severely during menstruation and the days before it.
What they did
Researchers interviewed 15 elite female footballers from two English clubs. They asked open-ended questions about how their menstrual cycle affected their game. They recorded and transcribed the interviews, then analysed them for common themes.
What they found
All players (100%) felt their cycle hurt performance. Over half (53%) had less appetite and slept worse during menstruation. During menstruation, 93% noticed their power decreased and 87% felt more tired. About two-thirds (66.7%) said confidence, focus, and how they handled criticism were affected. Players reported missing training (13.3%) and missing matches (13.3%) due to symptom severity. Most players (66.7%) used over-the-counter medication and some (26.7%) used prescription medication. Nearly half (46.7%) took medicine before competition.
What it means for you
This is the first study showing how elite female footballers experience their menstrual cycle affecting their game. The main limit is that it is small and based on what players remembered and reported, so we do not know if symptoms actually affect performance or whether feeling worse means playing worse. Players need better support including education and easier access to period products.
15
elite female footballers interviewed
100%
perceived their cycle harmed performance
93%
reported decreased power during menstruation
About the study
- Original title
- Elite female football players' perception of the impact of their menstrual cycle stages on their football performance. A semi-structured interview-based study
- Authors
- Read P, Mehta R, Rosenbloom C et al.
- Journal
- Science & medicine in football
- Year
- 2022
- Study design
- Interview study
- What was tested
- None; study documents how players currently manage symptoms.
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1080/24733938.2021.2020330
Topics
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