Monitoring Considerations for the Female Athlete
Presentation Type
Keynote Speaker
Abstract
Athlete monitoring typically incorporates assessing the objective and subjective workload and measurements of wellness or recovery of the athlete. These methods are effective regardless of the sex of the athlete, but do not include assessment of the female athlete’s menstrual cycle. There is also little research evaluating differences in how males and females respond to physiological and emotional stressors. This paper aims to 1) discuss the considerations and potential challenges related to monitoring female athletes and 2) summarize sex-based differences noted in the sport science literature. Evidence from team and individual indicates that naturally cycling athletes are often not eumenorrheic and that game performance may be variable in relation to the menstrual cycle and use of hormone contraceptives. Female athletes are also more likely to have worse subjective stress compared to their male counterparts, and sleep quality and overall wellness can serve as predictors in their daily external load. Coaches will be provided with tools for collecting information about an athlete’s menstrual cycle, associated symptoms, hormone contraceptive use, and assessing the potential impact of all three on performance and wellness.
Monitoring Considerations for the Female Athlete
Athlete monitoring typically incorporates assessing the objective and subjective workload and measurements of wellness or recovery of the athlete. These methods are effective regardless of the sex of the athlete, but do not include assessment of the female athlete’s menstrual cycle. There is also little research evaluating differences in how males and females respond to physiological and emotional stressors. This paper aims to 1) discuss the considerations and potential challenges related to monitoring female athletes and 2) summarize sex-based differences noted in the sport science literature. Evidence from team and individual indicates that naturally cycling athletes are often not eumenorrheic and that game performance may be variable in relation to the menstrual cycle and use of hormone contraceptives. Female athletes are also more likely to have worse subjective stress compared to their male counterparts, and sleep quality and overall wellness can serve as predictors in their daily external load. Coaches will be provided with tools for collecting information about an athlete’s menstrual cycle, associated symptoms, hormone contraceptive use, and assessing the potential impact of all three on performance and wellness.