This is a press release about this study a woman is doing at my school:
HARDER, FASTER, STRONGER: FEMALE ATHLETE PERFORMANCE MAY BE LINKED TO MENSTRUAL CYCLE: Women in the second half of their menstrual cycle may have a better chance of sinking a basket or beating a competitor to the finish line, according to research by UVic masters of science graduate Laura Middleton. The sport and exercise major conducted a three-month sprint-based study with six active women between the ages of 20 and 30 and found a significant difference in the average speed the women were able to achieve over a series of sprints. "The sprints simulated the accelerated bursts of speed that athletes perform during game-based sports like soccer, field hockey, ice hockey or basketball," says Middleton. "In a series of six second sprints, I found that the women could cover an average of a metre further during the second half of their cycle. That's a huge difference if you're going for a ball or a puck." Middleton's research led to her thesis, Effects of menstrual phase on performance and recovery in intense intermittent activity. She hopes her study will help women understand the effects of their menstrual cycle and potentially tailor their training schedules to achieve more powerful performances.
Posted by bluprnt at July 5, 2004 06:45 PM