“Athletes could feel more energetic in their mid-follicular phase, so talking to coaches about a stronger resistance training plan at this time is a way to optimize your cycle,” said Dr Sinéad Dufour, a pelvic health physiotherapist and associate clinical professor at McMaster University.
“The starting point is that we are women and, ultimately, we go through something very different to men on a monthly basis,” said current USWNT manager Emma Hayes in 2020, when as manager of Chelsea Women she was one of the first major coaches in the women’s game to tailor her team’s training around the players’ cycles.
However, according to a study conducted at the University of Bath, the luteal phase may be linked to a higher risk of muscle injury – potentially six times more than during the menstrual phase.
“The physiology of a woman’s body changes as it gets closer to bleeding and gets more fatigued; this is a time where more injuries seem to happen although the data are inconclusive,” said Dr Charles Pedlar, a sports physiologist and professor of applied sports and exercise science at St Mary’s University.
“The mid-luteal phase can be associated with more sleep disruption and other symptoms like musculoskeletal pain and increased injury risk, so that might be the time to back off a little bit regarding training,” Dufour said.
