How To Introduce Cycle-Oriented Performance Training in Women’s Sports
When it comes to achieving peak performance in sports, the one-size-fits-all approach falls short. With the rise of individualized training regimens, a new area has emerged in women’s sports: performance and team training oriented on players’ menstrual cycle and well-being.
The Relationship Between Athletic Performance and the Menstrual Cycle
The menstrual cycle isn’t just a biological process; it’s a symphony of hormonal fluctuations that influence an athlete’s strength, endurance, and mood.
Studies have shown variations in performance capabilities across different menstrual cycle phases. However, every woman and athlete is individual, which makes it even harder to include such information in team training environments.
Benefits of Tracking the Menstrual Cycle
Modern sports tech isn’’t just about tracking steps or heart rates. Women specific dashboards provide insights into menstrual cycles, facilitating better understanding of personal energy patterns, mood variations, and physical capabilities and position-specific requirements. By mapping out the menstrual cycle, athletes coaches can:
- Predict Performance: Knowing when one might be at their peak or when they might need extra recovery aids in training optimization.
- Injury Prevention: Certain phases of the menstrual cycle, especially the pre-menstrual phase, can be associated with increased injury risk. Tracking can assist in mitigating these risks.
- Enhanced Communication: Sharing cycle data with coaches or trainers can enhance the training process, ensuring everyone is on the same page.
Discover how KINEXON collaborates with TSG Hoffenheim to set benchmarks in women’s football.
Intellectual and Athletic Performance Research
Interestingly, the menstrual cycle doesn’t just impact physical prowess. Some studies indicate varying cognitive abilities during different cycle phases.
While these variations are subtle, they can influence strategies employed during games or matches. Teams like Florida State Women’s Basketball are leveraging this knowledge, combined with advanced analytics, to bring out the best in their athletes at every cycle stage.
What is Menstrual Dysfunction?
A darker side of intense sports participation for some women athletes is menstrual dysfunction, like amenorrhea, where periods become irregular or cease. Beyond the immediate implications for fertility, such dysfunctions can impact bone density, leading to increased injury risks.
But by using a dashboard, women athletes are no longer in the dark. Platforms that focus on empowering women with daily surveys allow for tracking subtle body changes, ensuring timely interventions, and may provide a hint. Likewise, the importance of establishing meaningful thresholds for women athletes cannot be understated, as it provides a roadmap to health and peak performance.
KINEXON’s Women’s Initiative
Menstrual-cycle and well-being oriented performance training in women’s sports is not a trend; it’s the future. By aligning training with the body’s natural rhythms and tapping into advanced sports tech, women athletes can optimize their performance and wellbeing.
As sports analytics evolve, expect to see more teams and individual athletes charting their paths to success with menstrual cycle insights at the helm.
KINEXON is committed to developing a new standard. We are pushing boundaries in professional and collegiate women’s sports using advanced sports technology tailored to the unique needs of women athletes.
Our dashboards for demand planning are now accessible to all women’s teams, enabling alignment of training with menstrual cycles. You can get started in just five easy steps by clicking the link below.
More stories
How Analytics Can Help Improve Collegiate Football Workouts
The offseason is a crucial time for college football players to improve their skills, strength, and conditioning. But how do you put together a training program that is as efficient as it is effective? Here’s a surefire way to start.
Researchers Uncover the Power of Plyometric Workouts for Elite Handball Players
A group of researchers set out to assess the impact Plyometric training might have on improving vertical jumps (and other performance metrics) of handball players at the elite or national level. Here’s what they learned.
Data-Driven Approach Fuels Coach’s Return-to-Play Protocol!
Injury recovery is a critical aspect of sports, and it’s where data can make a significant impact. As Rik van Waes, the Head Strength and Conditioning for the Heroes Den Bosch professional basketball team, puts it, “Returning to play after an injury is one of the major things that data can contribute to.”
REWE Final4 Breaks New Ground with Cutting-Edge Handball
Each year, thousands of handball fans converge at the REWE Final4, while millions tune in from home. Alongside the Handball Bundesliga, it doesn’t get much bigger than this. Except this year.
Study Reveals: Olympic-Based Strength Training Enhances Handball Skills!
Imagine the power and agility of an Olympic athlete combined with the strength and endurance of a handball player. That’s exactly what a recent study set out to explore. The goal? To unlock new levels of performance for women handball players.
What's Still Missing on The Journey to Equality for Women Athletes?
Researchers from the Bundesliga club, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, are conducting a study on the influence of the menstrual cycle on the performance of women athletes. Dr. Sascha Härtel and Dr. Ludwig Ruf shared insights into the research, and talked about what is still needed.
Study Reveals the Most Popular Shot EuroLeague Basketball Players Take
Sports analytics and data-driven forecasting play crucial roles in European basketball. Researchers are trying to identify essential performance metrics and effective coaching strategies. What they’re finding is that one type of shot is more popular than the rest.
Why Underloaded EuroLeague Basketball Players Still Need Data
As Head of Performance at Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, Kostas Chatzichristos knows basketball analytics. He explains why coaches need to collect data on all players — even the ones who aren’t getting minutes.
What a UL Experiment Revealed About Merging Live GPS Data and Recovery Tech
In football, recovery is as important as training. Recently, the sports medicine staff from the University of Louisiana conducted an experiment to gauge the impact Firefly Recovery Devices may have on a player’s recovery with the help of live data from KINEXON Sports.
How Basketball Coaches Can Use Sports Video Analysis Software
Basketball coaches and players strive to understand the intricacies of each shot. But using a video analysis software, that doubles as basketball shot tracking app, promises to be the Holy Grail for those seeking comprehensive insights.
What Are The Volleyball Metrics That Matter Most to Coaches?
Volleyball positions require speed, agility, power, and precision. But how do you know if your team is performing at its best? How do you measure your progress and identify your strengths and weaknesses? This is where player metrics and analytics come in.
Why Evansville University’s Sports Performance Coach Dislikes Backpedaling
How can players optimize their performance and avoid wasting steps on the court? That’s the question Jeremy Portillo, the sports performance coach for Evansville University men’s basketball team, was asked on a recent episode of “The Extra Edge” podcast. He gave a jaw-dropping answer.
Athletic Performance: Why is it Important to Understand and Track Acceleration?
Athletic ability is often associated with an athlete’s explosive speed and acceleration. That’s why acceleration is often called one of the cornerstones of excellence in athletic performance. But did you know that it can be improved with the right tools and training methods?
How UAB's Strength Coach Sold Football Analytics to His Head Coach
Author: Dave Grendzynski
Lyle Henley, the Director of Sport Performance for the University of Alabama Birmingham. football team. He’s a strong advocate for sports data. He shares his story of how he sold his old school head coach, Trent Dilfer, on the idea of using data.
What Kind of Live Data Can an LPS System Provide Fans During an American Football Game?
Coaches, players, media, and fans crave real-time insights to enhance performance, strategy, and engagement in American Football. Now, LPS technology is providing just that. Giving everyone in the stands, and watching at home, a view of the game they have never seen before.