THE M WORD: A LAST TABOO
RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE HAS A POTENTIALLY NEGATIVE IMPACT ON FEMALE ATHLETICS PERFORMANCE. GEORGIE BRUINVELS REPORTS ON HER LATEST RESEARCH
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.