Some athletes may notice increased injuries or an increased likelihood of injury at certain times throughout the menstrual cycle. If you notice that certain injuries regularly occur at the same time in your cycle, this could be caused by the changes in hormone levels and the effect these can have on muscle function, co-ordination, and movement of the joints.
We also know that sleep can be affected at certain times throughout the menstrual cycle and sleep plays an important role in managing and preventing injuries.
To fully understand how your body responds to the change in hormone levels, alongside tracking the traditional symptoms within the menstrual cycle, remember to note any injuries, muscle soreness or fatigue that you experience.
Below are some good tips to reduce the risk of injury throughout the menstrual cycle:
- Structure your training with the aim of spreading high intensity sessions evenly across the week.
- The midpoint of the menstrual cycle can be a time when the body is more prone to injury (the halfway point between day 1 of your last period and the next period). Therefore, warming up before any exercise becomes even more important.
- Maintenance training can be useful to support other symptoms but you may want to be more cautious of high intensity training. Tracking your cycle will help you see what type of training is best for you at different times in your cycle (low intensity or high intensity).
- Strength and conditioning or constant resistance training, which is gradually increased, will improve muscle strength, helping to reduce the risk of injury as well as improving sports performance. This could include bodyweight training, resistance band training, plyometrics or kettlebell weights, dumbbells, and barbells. It is possible to do these types of training at home, in the gym or include them in a warm-up session before exercise. What is important is that this is done consistently to gradually increase your muscle strength in your lower body, core, and upper body.
- To help you manage high intensity training, remember to include a good warm-up and build up the intensity gradually.
- In cold conditions, keep your muscles warm by wearing extra layers, warming up inside if possible and get yourself warm again immediately after exercise.
- Collagen can help with the restoration of tendons and ligaments and is found naturally in gelatin. Try adding jelly to your daily diet at times when you are more prone to injury, to help support the recovery process. Some individuals use a collagen supplement, but you will need to check that it is batch tested if you are a competitive athlete.
- Vitamin C is also useful in repair and recovery after training. You could add some vitamin C foods (berries, oranges, potatoes) to support this process.
