--- title: Does the menstrual cycle affect recovery after football matches? description: The menstrual cycle has limited effect on how female footballers feel after matches. Perceived recovery may be slightly worse during menstruation, but overall url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/menstrual-phase-and-postmatch-perceptual-recovery-responses-for-naturally-2025/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does the menstrual cycle affect recovery after football matches? Survey study, 2025 # Does the menstrual cycle affect recovery after football matches? The menstrual cycle has limited effect on how female footballers feel after matches. Perceived recovery may be slightly worse during menstruation, but overall no clear differences were found between cycle phases. Early or limited evidence 13 professional female footballers ## What they did Cross-sectional study of 13 professional female footballers. Players tracked their menstrual cycle using a calendar and urine hormone tests, then reported on fatigue, soreness, stress, sleep quality, and recovery for up to 4 menstrual cycles. Match intensity was measured using GPS tracking devices. ## What they found Perceived recovery status was potentially worse during menstruation, but no significant differences were found between menstrual phases overall. Fatigue, soreness, stress, and sleep differed between match day and the following two days, based on match intensity and slightly on menstrual phase. Sleep quality showed a slight improvement two days after matches. ## What it means for you Menstrual phase has limited impact on athletic recovery. Very small sample of elite athletes only, so findings may not apply to other women or sports. Study tracked cycles but didn't control for other factors that might affect recovery like nutrition or training load. 13 Professional female footballers 4 Menstrual cycles tracked 3 Days monitored after match ## About the study Original title Menstrual Phase and Postmatch Perceptual Recovery Responses for Naturally Menstruating Football Players Authors Brown GA, Fullagar HHK, Duffield R Journal International journal of sports physiology and performance Year 2025 Study design Survey study What was tested None - observational study of natural cycles Read the paper [doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2024-0295](https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2024-0295) ## Topics [Sleep and insomnia](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-sleep/)[Fatigue and energy](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-fatigue/)[Stress](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-stress/)[Athletes and sport](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-athletes/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Survey study, 2024 Are menstrual cycle symptoms related to sleep problems and mental health in female athletes? Survey study, 2024 Does the menstrual cycle affect well-being and performance in professional female soccer players? Systematic review, 2022 Do athletes' feelings and performance change across the menstrual cycle? Study, 2025 Does the menstrual cycle affect sleep, energy, and injury risk in young female athletes? Randomised trial, 2025 Does whole-body cryostimulation improve sleep quality in female athletes during different menstrual phases? Cohort study, 2024 Does shift work worsen PMS symptoms in newly graduated nurses? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗