New research shows the need to educate sports organisations on the impact of menstrual cycles on women athletes
HEADLINES
The Elite Athlete Menstrual Health Report has revealed shocking gaps in knowledge and support in this area. The report was devised by Laura Weightman (1,500m Olympian and coach) and Pippa Woolven (Project RED-S founder, red-s.com), in collaboration with Dr Natalie Brown (Founder of optimalperiod.com, and menstrual health researcher) and the Women’s Sport Trust Unlocked Programme (womenssporttrust.com).
The survey was completed by 159 elite, junior and senior athletes (aged 18+) from a range of activities, representing over 100 different sporting organisations across the UK. The majority of those surveyed (82%) stated their menstrual cycle had impacted their training and/or competition, but only 11% had adapted their training and/or competition around their cycle. While more than a fifth had irregular natural menstrual cycles, half of the females did not receive any menstrual health support from their National Governing Bodies (NGBs). In addition, three-quarters did not feel supported by their NGB in relation to female physiology and topics such as breast health, pregnancy, or choice of contraception.
The aim of the survey was to identify gaps in knowledge and support relating to elite athletes’ menstrual health, and provide a follow-up report containing evidence-based recommendations.
The findings show the need to address menstrual health education and female-specific nutrition and training advice, to minimise the risk of conditions such as Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) and maximise the health and performance potential of females, from the elite levels to grassroots sport. Pippa Woolven, a retired steeplechaser and cross-country runner founded Project RED-S in 2021. She is supported by world-class athletes and clinical experts who are striving to change the culture in sport around food, body, and optimal performance.
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It was a great excuse to celebrate NHS staff and volunteers (past, present, and future) who have contributed to making the organisation such a huge part of our heritage, a
