Making periods into superpowers

“While participants assumed that they were performing worse during menstruation, the findings don’t demonstrate any detriment to cognition. If anything, cognitive performance peaked during ovulation,” study co-author Evelyn Watson told Technology Networks.

Females tend to have a negative perception of how their period influences them, but there are actually positive impacts of the menstruation cycle.

“It’s hard especially for young girls to think there’s something to be really proud of,” England rugby player Rachael Burford told the “Her Sport” platform on their show “The Period Panel.”

“Celebrating the fact that your body does go through this every month is incredible. It can be used as a superpower as well.”

Dispelling the myth — females are not less capable on their period

The UCL study looked at 54 females of different activity levels — inactive, active, competing and elite — aged between 18 and 40. The research found that across the board, reaction times were approximately 30 milliseconds faster and fewer errors were committed during ovulation. Reaction times were slower in the luteal phase and more errors were made in the follicular phase — neither of which are “that time of the month,” proving that the period itself does not have a negative impact on these areas but a drop in certain general performance areas, that is, not specific to sport, may occur in other phases.

The different in reaction time is perhaps notable when considering how the menstruation cycle might be linked to injury, given that such a timeframe can be the difference between, for example, a collision or not. However, one of the most interesting findings was that there was a striking difference in reaction time between active and non-active females.

“Opposing results between perceived and measured performance challenge common assumptions about menstruation-related performance, and highlight the importance of addressing societal biases in female sport and health. The stronger effects of athletic engagement on cognitive performance, rather than phase, reinforce the cognitive benefits of an active lifestyle,” states the summary conclusion of the UCL study.

“Take ownership of your cycle”

We have already examined the stigma behind menstruation and how that plays a role in females’ own perceptions of their period. In that light, it is unsurprising that many assume a decrease in ability or performance during their period — basically, women have been trained to believe it is a negative thing. What we should really be doing is getting to know our own cycles, which can help us work with our periods rather than against them.

That begins with tracking the cycle, for which many athletes advocate as a first step. In a conversation featuring four elite Netball Australia players, the athletes shared their advice on that.

“I think tracking your period is a really good start to kind of understand your body,” said Melbourne Vixens’ Kiera Austin. “Tracking really puts you a step forward into taking control.”

Melbourne Mavericks’ Tayla Fraser added: “Take ownership of your cycle. Be willing to go out and see the research and find the stages of your cycle.”

Adelaide Thunderbirds’ Tayla Williams has been diagnosed with endometriosis, a condition where tissue similar to the uterus lining grows outside the uterus, often resulting in severe pain and heavy periods, as well as fertility issues.  

“If I had’ve had more education, I can pretty confidently say I would have had a diagnosis sooner,” she says, highlighting the importance of getting to know your cycle and self-education.

Rugby player Burford also immediately mentions tracking when asked what advice she would give. “It’s really important that you track your cycle, because otherwise you’re just kind of guessing,” she says, outlining how she uses an app that allows her to track her cycle and even gives tips for training and diet as well as when to slow down.

“Educate yourself, track it and I guess just be proud of it. Just be proud that you have a period because it is a really special thing that your body is doing.”

Elite athletes and periods — how they work with them

Triathlete Emma Pallant-Browne, who was featured in our story on stigma surrounding menstruation, guest starred in a video from the Global Triathlon Network where she and former pentathlete and triathlete Heather Fell discussed how to work with your period.

Fell emphasises the importance of tracking in alleviating worries related to competition in particular.

“This is an area where you really want to plan ahead, cause you’ve got enough anxiety — you don’t want to add period anxiety into the mix,” says Fell. “A period is something to embrace. It means you are healthy and ready to race, so with a few tweaks, hopefully you can have a brilliant race day.”

Regarding competing while menstruating, Pallant-Browne advocates learning how your body reacts to the menstruation cycle through training, rather than trying to simply be unaffected by it. That way, when the time comes for a period that lines up with competition, menstruating is just a fact of the day. 

“My advice for being able to race on your period is first of all, train on it, because in training is where you find out, ‘OK what are my symptoms? How does it affect me?’ And then you can put proactive ways to deal with those symptoms and train them in before a race day,” says Pallant-Browne.

“I kind of use that to entrain my good habits and how to deal with a heavy period training and racing hard — I keep doing that during training.”

Self-knowledge and communication to improve team cohesion

Burford explains how being aware of one’s own cycle can then aid in communicating needs to others.

“I’ve been in team situations where players know or I know that I’m about to come on my period and my mood changes and I’m slightly different. But if we’re aware of all that and we can be accommodating to that and supportive towards that, then actually that just breaks down that barrier,” she says.

“I know it’s going to happen every single month, so I need to be able to manage what that looks like every single month. I can’t just kind of run away.”

Unrelated to periods, at the Women’s EHF EURO 2022, Denmark players talked about how knowing each other had been a key in their return to the highest rankings in international handball.

“When we started, we were doing some profiles, like, personal profiles, and we had to share them with each other,” said line player Rikke Iversen ahead of the final against Norway in November 2022.

“It was the first gathering we had like summer three years ago. It was the main focus. Like, who am I as a person? What do I think and what do you think? And how do I react in a situation where we are maybe behind with three and how do you?”

That 2022 silver was the second in a run of five straight medals won by Denmark, highlighting how, along with other factors, knowing each other off the court can be extremely valuable. It is logical that should extend to the menstruation cycles of the players as well — when a team travels to a tournament, they will be together for weeks and inevitably most of the players will have their period at some point. It seems likely that, as Burford highlights, teammates knowing these parts of each other can also help improve team cohesion.

“It will help women, but also everyone else”

The tracking and knowledge of how one’s own cycle affects individuals extends beyond sport. Women’s health coach Dinara Mukh speaks on the topic in her TEDx Talk “Your Menstrual Cycle is Your Superpower.”

“The coolest thing I wasn’t taught about my period and my menstrual cycle is that throughout the month, it goes through these incredible phases, mimicking the seasons of nature. I also have my inner winter, my inner spring, my inner summer and my inner fall,” says Mukh.

Mukh speaks about how males have their own hormonal cycle, and it is one we are all familiar with, as that is what day-to-day life has been structured around: While the female cycle is 28 days, the male version is 24 hours.

“We have never asked, does this 24-hour clock work for us? We have been fitting to these 24-hour schedules, not entirely sure whether it makes sense for our bodies. And statistics show that it affects our health, wellbeing and our performance, because women are 50 per cent more likely to experience burnout. 75 per cent of people with autoimmune disease are women. 85 per cent of women, yes most of you in this audience, experience some kind of hormonal imbalances, ranging from migraines, hormonal acne, period pain, cramping,” says Mukh. 

“What we really need is to create a menstrual cycle awareness in the workplace, if we truly want to achieve gender diverse and inclusive environments, and yes it will help women, but also everyone else. Because according to the McKinsey research, teams that are the most gender diverse are 48 per cent more likely to outperform other teams. And the most inclusive teams are typically the ones that are most successful and happier at work, so understanding a female body is everyone’s business.”

“Are you ready to turn an old enemy into a new ally?”

Following the seasons analogy, Mukh likens the first part of the female cycle, menstruation, to winter. The follicular phase, occurring after the period ends, she compares to spring. Ovulation is likened to summer and the luteal phase, preparing for menstruation, is autumn. Mukh uses the seasons analogy as a rough guide to what her body needs in that time.

Mukh’s own approach involves more rest, quiet and solitude during menstruation; taking advantage of the increased energy she notices in the follicular phase; enjoying more confidence during the “summer” phase of ovulation; and starting to slow down during the luteal phase.

While the analogy and Mukh’s personal experience of how each “season” impacts her is not a scientific guide, it is enlightening in two ways: For those who do not experience a menstrual cycle, even some vague understanding of how women might be feeling in the different phases throughout the month is illuminating. For those who do menstruate, her approach offers an idea for how to pay more attention to what one’s body might need in different phases.

We do not have all the answers in an academic sense here yet, but it seems logical not to ignore the natural phases of the body — we should get to know them and figure out how to work with them. Power is gained through knowledge.

“Why not plan for it if it means less emotional and physical discomfort?” Mukh asks.

“Your menstrual cycle is so much more than just your period. As you’ve seen, it’s a symphony orchestra of all kinds of things, so use it so you can show up better and more confidently in the world.

“I really hope that we can stop dreading our periods and move into a place where we can embrace and even celebrate it. Are you ready to turn an old enemy into a new ally?”

Photos: kolektiff images/Eva Manhart/Jozo Cabraja/Anze Malovrh/Uros Hocevar; Pexels/Sora Shimazaki/Cottonbro/Cliff Booth/Karola G/Sora Shimazaki