Menstrual Cycle Affects Strength Endurance in Teen Athletes

Menstrual Cycle Phase Impacts Strength Endurance Performance in Elite Adolescent Athletes

A study from the Universitat Ramon Llull in Barcelona has found that neuromuscular performance in elite adolescent female athletes fluctuates with their menstrual cycle. For female athletes integrating strength endurance work into their training, this timing matters.

Performance Dips During Early Follicular Phase

Researchers Azahara Fort-Vanmeerhaeghe and her team tracked 32 elite adolescent basketball and volleyball players through three consecutive menstrual cycles. The athletes, averaging 16 years old, performed tests in three phases: early follicular (EFP, during menstruation), late follicular (around ovulation), and late luteal.

The tests measured lower-body explosive power via countermovement jump height and upper-body strength endurance via bench press repetitions at 80% of their maximum strength. Linear mixed-effects models revealed a clear pattern. Both mean and maximal jump height were significantly lower during the EFP. Strength endurance also suffered; athletes completed fewer bench press repetitions in the EFP compared to the later phases.

This phase aligns with menstruation, when estrogen and progesterone levels are at their lowest. The hormonal environment appears to be a key mechanism. Estrogen, for instance, influences neuromuscular function, muscle protein synthesis, and connective tissue laxity. Its sharp decline may temporarily reduce power output and muscular endurance.

Integrating Cycle Awareness into Concurrent Training

Concurrent training combines strength and endurance work to build resilient, metabolically fit athletes. For female athletes, the menstrual cycle adds a layer of biological complexity to this programming.

The Barcelona study suggests the EFP is a period of reduced neuromuscular capacity. This doesn’t mean training should stop, but its nature might adapt. High-intensity strength sessions or demanding strength endurance sets scheduled during this window may feel harder, yield lower performance metrics, or increase perceived fatigue. A separate systematic review by Yu Y and colleagues in Frontiers in Physiology notes that managing fatigue is critical for maintaining athletic performance, and protocol heterogeneity often muddies findings. A consistent, individualized factor like the menstrual cycle offers a clearer path.

Recognizing this pattern allows for smarter planning. High-load strength work or intensive power intervals could be prioritized during the late follicular or luteal phases, when performance metrics rebound. The EFP might be better suited for technical skill work, lower-intensity Zone 2 endurance sessions, or recovery-focused activities. This approach aligns training stress with biological readiness.

Practical Steps for Athletes and Coaches

The first step is tracking. Using a simple calendar or an app to log cycle phases creates objective data. For the adolescent athletes in the study, this self-awareness is a powerful tool as they navigate heavy training loads.

Adjustments should be individual. Some athletes experience significant symptoms that compound performance dips; others notice minimal change. Communication between athlete and coach is essential. A practical application could be modifying strength endurance sessions during the EFP: reducing the load slightly (e.g., from 80% to 75% of 1-repetition maximum), increasing rest intervals, or slightly decreasing target repetition ranges. The goal is to maintain stimulus without pushing into excessive fatigue that could compromise form or increase injury risk.

Nutrition and sleep also play supporting roles during this phase. Ensuring adequate intake of iron-rich foods to compensate for menstrual losses and prioritizing sleep hygiene can help manage overall fatigue levels. While this study didn’t examine supplementation, other research on our site, such as HIIT Exercise Supplements: Redox Response in New Trial, explores how specific nutrients can support exercise stress.

Acknowledging Limitations and Moving Forward

The study focused on elite, eumenorrheic adolescent team-sport athletes. Results may differ for adult athletes, those with irregular cycles, or individuals in non-team sports. The performance tests were specific—vertical jump and bench press—and may not directly translate to all strength endurance expressions, like repeated sled pushes or kettlebell circuits.

Nevertheless, the evidence adds to a growing body of work emphasizing female physiology in sports science. It moves beyond a male-centric model and provides actionable data. For endurance athletes incorporating strength work to improve economy and injury resistance, or for team-sport athletes relying on concurrent training, this menstrual cycle awareness can refine periodization. It turns a biological cycle into a training variable.

Understanding internal rhythms allows athletes to work with their physiology, not against it. Tracking the menstrual cycle and observing personal performance trends offers a strategy to distribute training load more effectively. This can help manage cumulative fatigue, sustain motivation, and potentially safeguard against injury during more vulnerable biological phases. The research confirms that performance is not static; it fluctuates within a natural cycle, and smart training can adapt to that flow.

Sources:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42213965/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42099913/