How Do Periods Impact Athletes?
By: Madeline Riske // January 2026
Does the menstrual cycle impact athletic performance? Is it normal for a menstruating athlete to lose their period? What do professional athletes have to say about menstruating while competing?
Menstruation in sports is a topic that is not always talked about publicly but is often discussed by menstruating athletes, and that has only recently started to be studied. One such study published in Sports Medicine found that elite athletes’ attention and inhibition scores were more than 120 milliseconds faster, and their simple reaction time was 80 milliseconds faster at ovulation than the luteal phase of their cycle. Interestingly, by contrast, inactive participants in the study had reaction times on average about 70 milliseconds slower and made about three times as many impulsive errors, regardless of cycle phase. But, when comparing this study to other research about athletic performance during menstruation, Mayo Clinic gynecologist Dr. Petra Casey notes that, “There’s no consensus. Nobody knows. Nobody can agree. There are just as many studies that say that performance does not vary throughout the menstrual cycle as there are studies that say it does.” Stephanie Hilborne, the chief executive of Women in Sport notes that, “While it is fascinating to understand the tiny cognitive supercharging that happens the day of ovulation, the most interesting conclusion is around the cognitive benefits of being active.” Therefore, the takeaway from this study was ultimately the important health benefits of incorporating recreational physical activity into our lives.
An article from the Boston Children’s Hospital suggests that it is important to remember that “most normal, healthy cycles don’t get in the way of competing, even at a high level. Some evidence even suggests that exercising during menstruation can soothe cramps and PMS symptoms.” Menstruation research in sports, then, is less interested in the variability during different parts of a menstruating athlete’s cycles and more interested in understanding menstrual health holistically.
A commonly held idea is that it is normal for menstruating athletes to lose their period because of their constant physical activity. Some athletes, especially those participating in sports that emphasize leanness, may think that getting to a state at which they are not having periods, called amenorrhea, will help their performance. But, “In fact, amenorrhea can be a sign of relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S), a syndrome of poor health and declining athletic performance that happens when athletes do not get enough fuel through food to support the energy demands of their daily lives and training.” Athletes’ menstrual cycle is closely related to their bone mineral density. Healthy levels of estrogen can help with bone growth and prevent bone deterioration. “When athletes don’t have enough energy for their body’s normal functions because of over-training or lack of proper nutrition, their hormones can become disrupted, which can ultimately harm their bone and reproductive health.” This can increase the risk of stress fractures, which an amenorrheic athlete is two-to-four-more-times at risk for than an athlete who gets regular periods. Debunking this myth, the reality is that amenorrhea is caused by stress, under-nutrition, and over-exercise, and is not a benefit for athletes.
While there is still a stigma around athletes discussing menstruation, recently, female athletes have been more open in talking about the reality of competing in sports on their periods. New Zealand golfer, Lydia Ko, said of her menstrual pains and tightness at the 2022 Palos Verdes Championship, “The younger me would say it’s embarrassing, but now I don’t think it is that embarrassing to say it anymore because I’m not the only one, right?” After Beth Mead, a woman’s footballer for England and Great Britain, spoke out about the teams’ uniforms, stating that “white is not practical when it’s the time of the month,” several football squads switched to dark-colored shorts. Similarly, at Wimbledon, female tennis players were allowed to wear dark-colored undershorts for the first time in tournament history.
Athletes like Ko and Mead speaking out about menstruation are making waves in breaking the stigma around discussing menstruation in athletics. Brazilian female wrestler, Aline Silva, is speaking out about improving gender equality in sports through her involvement with Mempodera, a wrestling organization that recently published an Instagram post to promote free access to personal hygiene products. “What chance are we giving to girls and women as they lose days of productivity every month due to their menstruations?” Silva asked. Her question feels closely related to Love for Red’s mission, as we also work to assure that every menstruator can feel clean and have dignity on their period, whether they’re attending school or playing on the field.
https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/womens-wellness-female-athletes-and-their-periods
https://www.childrenshospital.org/conditions-treatments/female-athletes-and-menstruation