How the Female Reproductive Hormones Affect Performance in Football

Although research on menstrual cycle and hormone-based contraception is growing among women’s sport in general, it is still limited within football. Yet, variations in ovarian hormones can have an important impact on a footballer’s performance and training. Some of the generic research can be applied to football. For instance, the slight improvement in endurance performance during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, owing to a preservation of glycogen, which might mean that long-duration matches and training sessions may feel easier at this time. Due to oestrogen-related increases in joint laxity mid-cycle, avoiding twisting and turning movements in training may help avoid injuries to the ligaments. Preventing low bone health because of progesterone-only contraceptives, through targeted bone-loading exercise, may reduce the risk of osteoporotic fracture. 12 Jacky J. Forsyth Such understanding can inform play, yet knowledge of menstrual cycle and hormonebased contraception is limited among footballers and support staff. There are, however, some good practices within women’s football, such as the use of menstrual-cycle tracking apps. This paper provides a summary of the content presented at the ‘Football Wants to Be a Woman’ conference in Kraków.