MANY WOMEN athletes say their menstrual cycle impacts upon their training and performance. Last year British tennis player Heather Watson made headlines around the world when she attributed her Australian Open loss to her period, finally breaking silence on what has become one of the biggest taboos in sport. Yet precisely why elite performance often – but not always – suffers is not yet clear. That is part of the reason why my own research group – a collaboration between UCL and St Mary’s University and supported by Orreco – is aiming to shed more light on this area.
As scientists, what we do know is that heavy menstrual bleeding raises the risk of a woman losing excessive amounts of iron, present in blood, on a monthly basis. Iron is an essential micronutrient vital for metabolic and physiological function. If iron deficiency is left untreated, it might progress to iron deficiency anaemia. This is where oxygen transport is compromised among other factors, which will cause fatigue and negatively affect health and performance.
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Paula Radcliffe: period did not prevent her setting the world record