Menstruation Cycles and the Impact on a Female Athlete's Performance and Perception of Performance

This two-part study investigates the impact of menstrual cycle hormone levels on performances and perception of performance among division I athletes. A survey was given to the captains of all Bryant University female sports teams for the dispersal amongst their teams. Each of the 13 female sports teams participated and contributed. A total of 107 survey responses were collected. Data regarding the perception of menstrual cycle on specific aspects of their athletic lives were collected, as well as whether they were on contraception, their age of menarche and heaviness of flow. The results indicate that 83% of athletes surveyed believe their menstruation affects their athletic performance, as well as 46.8% strongly believe their period causes them more fatigue at practice. As a follow up, study two was then performed to see how much the menstrual cycle impacts field performance. Athletes’ perceptions of their performance were found to be influenced by menstrual symptoms, often leading to a negative self-assessment during menstruation. Twenty Division I softball players at Bryant University were monitored during their fall season. Paper calendars were utilized for menstrual cycle tracking, as well as a daily 4 question survey where athletes reported their self-perception of performance. The calendar and self-perception were then compared to the actual performance of these athletes. The results indicate that female athlete participants performed worse on their period 57% of the time and their self-perception was worse 6.5% of the time compared to 3.8% when in other phases of their cycle. These findings highlight the need for support strategies to optimize an athlete’s performance and the need for change in Division I athletes training regimens.