Research summary · Women's sport
Menstrual-cycle phase and performance in female football
A review examines whether prospectively measured performance differs across menstrual-cycle phases in female football players.
- Publication year
- 2026
- First published online
- Publication type
- Systematic review of prospective observational studies
- Journal
- International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance
- Population / context
- Women's football
What the publication reports
Fifteen studies involving 210 players were included. Five reported lower aerobic or sprint outcomes in the early follicular phase, while ten found no meaningful phase difference; agility and power results were not consistent.
Limits and interpretation
Samples were small and methods for confirming cycle phase varied. Observational findings cannot support blanket training restrictions, and individual symptom patterns may differ from group averages.
Read the source
Consult the original record for the full author list, methods, references, funding and competing-interest disclosures.
Effects of Menstrual Cycle Phase on Physical Performance in Female Soccer Players: A Systematic Review
Original publication / indexed recordPMID: 42562364DOI: 10.1123/ijspp.2025-0432Reader discussion
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