One of the most exciting and important areas of research in the field of sports science and nutrition is how the menstrual cycle impacts performance in female athletes, and how best to develop training and nutrition protocols to support this population. However, the research is severely lacking currently, and large gaps exist in order to develop truly evidence-informed guidelines and recommendations. A new meta-analysis and systematic review was just published by a team of experts on this topic, looking at over 50 studies and nearly 1200 participants to see what the breadth of data show. So on the pod today I share the findings and takeaways from the paper in a quick, digestible Friday Flow.
A couple of great articles for more commentary:
https://www.mysportscience.com/post/effects-of-menstrual-cycle-on-performance
https://www.mysportscience.com/post/oral-contraceptives-and-performance