How menstruation affects athletic prowess is poorly understood
Changing that will give sportswomen a new way to improve performance
Just 0.63 seconds separated first from fourth place in the women’s 100 metres freestyle at the recent Tokyo Olympic Games—a race where the winning time was 51.96 seconds. In light of this and similar facts, it is not surprising that elite athletes are constantly searching for ways to get even 1% better. To that end, they hire strength coaches, nutritionists and sports psychologists. And lately, some female athletes have been trying a new tack: working with menstrual-cycle coaches.
This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Cycle races”
From the July 23rd 2022 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from Science & technology
Can you breathe stress away?
Scientists are only beginning to understand the links between the breath and the mind
The Economist’s science and technology internship
We invite applications for the 2025 Richard Casement internship
A better understanding of Huntington’s disease brings hope
Previous research seems to have misinterpreted what is going on
Is obesity a disease?
It wasn’t. But it is now
Volunteers with Down’s syndrome could help find Alzheimer’s drugs
Those with the syndrome have more of a protein implicated in dementia
Should you start lifting weights?
You’ll stay healthier for longer if you’re strong