Wellness Programme: menstruation matters
Menstrual cycles are a monthly occurrence for most women, and yet they remain a largely unspoken part of life. For an elite athlete, the changes the body goes through within the cycle could have huge performance effects if these are not taken into consideration, whilst creating even greater long-term issues if problems are ignored.
There are four key stages in the menstrual cycle. The menstrual, follicular, luteal, and pre-menstrual phase. In each phase hormone levels alter, which can have effects on mood, metabolism, and energy (to name but a few).
The menstrual phase is the first phase and refers to the time when you are on your period. Lasting 3-7 days it can create feelings of fatigue, mild pain and stress. However, some women feel great when they’re on their period. Moving into the follicular phase, this is where estrogen levels increase and progesterone levels remain low. Estrogen is a key hormone for healthy functioning (including bone and cardiovascular health). However too much estrogren may be linked to other health conditions and exercise has been shown to be an effective tool to help regulate the hormone level.
The follicular phase ends when ovulation occurs, and an egg is released. If the egg remains unfertilised, the luteal phase begins and an increase in progesterone hormone causes slight increases in core body temperature and, for some, heart rate and ventilatory rate. The decline in progesterone and oestrogen towards the end of the cycle is linked with PMS symptoms as the period approaches. This can include mood disturbances, increased fatigue, headaches, appetite changes, sleep issues and mild pain. The body then moves back into the menstrual phase once again.
For our riders, understanding their individual cycle and the impact of the hormonal changes on their unique bodies helps us to better plan their nutrition, training, racing and recovery to ensure optimal performance. Moreover, tracking patterns allows riders to easily identify any changes in cycle characteristics which may indicate other health issues that require further examination. Research shows that intense exercise and excess physical and psychological stress can result in irregular periods or extreme symptoms, and correct weight management and fuelling strategies are also key to ensuring a healthy cycle. These are two key areas for us to help educate our riders on to ensure overall wellbeing.
Our riders use the FitrWoman app from Orreco to track their cycles and any symptoms around their cycle. This helps build knowledge of their bodies and the cycle to feed back into overall performance planning.
About Orreco
Established in 2010, Orreco has offices in Los Angeles, London and Galway, Ireland. Orreco scientists analyse athlete data and deliver evidence-based, personalized strategies to improve recovery rates, optimize training response and protect against excessive fatigue and under-recovery. Clients include teams and franchises in the NBA/WNBA/NFL/WSL/EPL, individual athletes in Olympic sports, F1 drivers, LPGA and PGA tour players including 3 Major winners.
www.orreco.com