Firstly, we should all be talking about Periods more. It doesn't matter if there are boys in your class, or if you are a male teacher, I would argue it's even more important to talk then. We all need educating on the menstrual cycle and its impact on sporting/dance, as well as day-to-day life. Secondly, In this blog I am purely focusing on injury prevention during the menstrual cycle and highlighting some of the affects that should be considered while training.
Did you know that ACL injuries significantly increase during the first day of menstruation and the day following ovulation?
Rises in oestrogen levels cause ligaments to become more lax. This can create between 1mm to 55mm laxity in the knee joint. Oestrogen also thickens muscles as it promotes protein synthesis and reduces degradation. So as ligaments become more lax, muscles also become thicker.
Now imagine the quadricep muscle group - rectus femoris, vastas medialis, vastas intermedialis, and vastas lateralis. These all converge into the patella tendon. So as these huge muscles thicken, the patella tendon is under more strain, and the knee joint is less stable due to the laxity. These factors directly contribute to the increase in ACL injuries during days 9 to 15 of the menstrual cycle.
Considerations to flexibility training should be made during the period when levels in oestrogen and relaxin are at its highest. As levels of these hormones start to rise an increase in flexibility may be noticed and maximised. However, at their peak, flexibility training should be focused on alignment rather than lengthening due to the laxity and instability of the joints.
With this knowledge training can be adapted to prevent serious injuries.
Other considerations for physical training and mental awareness at different stages of the menstrual cycle:
During ovulation body temperature can spike due to the increase in progesterone. This can dehydrate soft tissues as they have a huge water composite and reduce their elasticity and flexibility.
During menstruation bloating occurs, which can cause back ache and change centre of gravity. Posture and balance can be affected.
Fluctuations in hormones can affect mood and concentration, which can affect training.
Energy levels can drop at the beginning of the cycle and increase again as oestrogen levels increase.
Any effects caused by the menstrual cycle vary in significance from person to person, but having the knowledge to adapt training accordingly could prevent many injuries.
Image 1 - taken from study modules from the Philip Cutts Applied Anatomy and Physiology course
Image 2 - Googled image
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