Best time of the month to race
As already mentioned, all women have different menstrual cycles, so, the best advice is to start making a running log, a recording of how you feel each day during your run. This way you will be able to see if a pattern establishes itself. Many women find that they feel slow and sluggish in the couple of days leading up to their period and then fine once their period begins. Others feel really terrible the first day of their period and run very poor times if a race coincides with that day.
It is interesting to note that one-third of all female Olympic gold medals were won during menstruation, compared to two-thirds gained a week after their period.
Menstruation can be adjusted with medication so that competition dates coincide with the time of maximum performance, or completely suppressed for a few months. However this is not recommended unless you are a highly competitive national or international athlete, and it should be noted that some of these drugs (hormones) used for this purpose may be on the list of banned substances.
Other articles in this section related to the Women’s menstrual cycle:
- Periods – Running Red Days
- Does your period affect your running?
- When is the best time of the month to run a race?
- Does running help alleviate premenstrual symptoms?
- Why does running sometimes stop periods?
- What’s the best sanitary wear for running?
- How does running affect contraception and infertility?
- Are runners at an elevated risk for osteoporosis?
Who is Cassandra Davis head of the Women’s section ? | Cass |
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