It seems to be one of the last taboos of our time. If a woman openly says that she doesn't feel well because she gets her period, it is often dismissed as an excuse. That's why many women don't even talk about it. It's no different in cycling. Although professional cyclists like Petra Rossner and Claudia Häusler don't want to talk about it as a taboo, they have hardly ever discussed the subject with colleagues, coaches or doctors.
Nevertheless, every woman who does not take the contraceptive pill will admit it: There are good and bad days in this recurring cycle. No wonder, as it is characterised by hormonal fluctuations that affect the body and mind. Many women also struggle with problems shortly before their period: pain, water retention, fatigue, mood swings and cramps are just some of the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome.
Former racing cyclist Petra Rossner also reports such experiences. She remembers that the day before the haemorrhage she always had stiff legs and was prone to cramps. One day later, she suffered from pain. "And on the second and third day of the haemorrhage I had really good legs". Professional cyclist Claudia Häusler has also noticed that things don't go so well on the first and second day of the haemorrhage: "On the third day, things are really good."
There are still few scientific findings on the connection between performance and the menstrual cycle. Prof. Dr Petra Platen from Ruhr University Bochum has specialised in the topic: "So far, no clear effect on acute endurance and strength performance has been found - even though we know that the concentration of typical male hormones in the female body also varies within the cycle. The concentration is highest shortly before ovulation." This means that, in theory, peak performance can be achieved on any day of the cycle.
Influence on training
The situation is quite different when it comes to training, i.e. building endurance and strength: a difference was identified between the luteal phase - the time between ovulation and the next menstruation - and the follicular phase - the time between the onset of menstruation and ovulation. Platen: "We observed a poorer training effect in the luteal phase." However, the biggest influence on performance is still the premenstrual syndrome.
However, especially in competitive sport, it can also happen that bleeding stops completely. However, this is a sign of severe overloading of the body, says Platen: "Behind this is a negative energy balance - the body thinks to itself: getting pregnant is unfavourable, I'll stop the cycle. This can be very problematic in the long term. If a pronounced eating disorder is then added to this, it leads to bone decalcification and, in the worst case, to bone fractures as in osteoporosis."
Whenever possible, women should therefore cut back on days when their bodies require rest. Petra Rossner and Claudia Häusler also recommend this. "You can also consciously skip a training session," says Rossner. "The more successful sportswomen are the ones who know their bodies and get involved with them anyway." Häusler adds: "You shouldn't drive yourself crazy, it's better to listen to yourself and plan with feeling."
