Should the Female Athlete Train Differently Around her Menstrual Cycle?
By Emily Neff (Pappas), Ph.D. student
FEMALE ATHLETES EVERYWHERE KNOW THEIR PERIOD WILL AFFECT HOW THEY FEEL, AND HOW THEY FEEL WILL AFFECT HOW THEY PERFORM.
Training around the menstrual cycle seems to be a hot topic in 2023, but what does your athlete really need to do to succeed in her sport and stay off the sidelines from injury?
Check out this conversation with Erica Suter, MS, where we break down the current research and what parents of female athletes need to know regarding their daughterS’ periods and training!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
In 2015 Emily opened Relentless Athletics to build a community for female athletes while educating their parents and coaches on the necessity of strength training and sports nutrition to optimize sports performance and reduce injury risks in the female athlete population.
Emily holds a M.S. in Exercise Physiology from Temple University and a B.S. in Biological Sciences from Drexel University. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. at Concordia University St. Paul with a research focus on female athletes & the relationship between strength training frequency, ACL injury rates, and menstrual cycle irregularities (RED-s). Through this education, Emily values her ability to coach athletes and develop strength coaches with a perspective that is grounded in biochemistry and human physiology.
When she isn’t on the coaching floor or working in her office, she is at home with her husband Jarrod and their daughter Maya Rose, and, of course, their dog Milo (who has become the mascot of Relentless)!!
