Influence of menstrual cycle phases on anaerobic physical performance of healthy women

Purpose Women remain underrepresented in research due to the menstrual cycle’s complexity. Most studies use outdated methods, limiting insights into menstrual cycle effects on performance. Therefore, there is a need to expand the body of knowledge using modern and robust methodologies. The aim of this study was to investigate the anaerobic performance of women (18–35y) across different ovarian cycle phases and their influence on performance. The protocol was conducted in three cycle phases: early follicular (EF), late follicular (LF), and mid-luteal (ML) phase. Methods Sixteen volunteers underwent anthropometric measurements, maximal isometric strength test with rate of force development (RFD), horizontal jump (HJ), countermovement jump (CMJ), squat jump (SJ) and the running-based anaerobic sprint test (RAST). Results RFD and resultant force showed better performance in LF compared to ML (p = 0.015, ΔRFD:12.61%; p = 0.030, ΔResultant Force:12,17%); CMJ and HJ performed better in ML compared to EF (p = 0.002, ΔCMJ:5.7%; p = 0.001, ΔHJ:3.2%). RAST and anthropometric measurements showed no differences between phases. Conclusion It is suggested that strength efforts tend to improve in the late follicular phase, while coordinative and speed-related tasks seem to improve during ML. Recognizing that neuromuscular demands respond differently to hormonal fluctuations may help reduce performance variability and optimize outcomes by leveraging specific menstrual phases. Future research should also investigate the role of subjective and qualitative symptoms and assess whether/how they impact performance, even in similar hormonal profiles.