The Correlation between Menstrual Cycle and Ligamentous Injuries

As womxn gain more prevalence in the sport and athletic industry, research has become more inclusive to the female body.

Research has shown substantial evidence on the effect of menstrual cycle on injuries, especially major ligamentous injuries like ACL tears. 

Currently, some top sports teams are navigating this reality by synching team members' cycles with the assistance of hormonal contraceptives, and then tapering training around that time. 

While I am not personally a proponent of encouraging the use of hormonal contraceptives for athletes, believing they come with their own host of issues, I am all for the idea of using menstrual cycles to guide our management of athletic loads.

Whether or not you are of age and biological structure to menstruate, try this: 

• For the next few months, keep track of your energy levels and [otherwise unexplainable] body pain. Note whether there seems to be a pattern to it, especially as it relates to your menstrual cycle (if you have one).

• Try tuning into your energy levels and allowing that to navigate your workout programming.

We are so often taught to fight through those periods in our cycles, that we need to be working out at 100% of our hardest at all times; but, what if our bodies are trying to protect us? What if they are meant to guide us? 

What if our fatigue is a clue to how we need to be treating our bodies at that time? 

What if taking that break is exactly what we need to experience gains, both in fitness and overall wellness?