USWNT Tapped Into Menstrual Cycle Science On Road to Victory

Periods are not usually the topic female athletes and women, in general, like to think or talk about too much. They happen, they’re inconvenient. Now, let me sneakily put a tampon in my sweatshirt sleeve on my way to the tournament Port-O-Potty.

However, what if thinking and talking about periods could give an edge in sports? That’s what the fitness coach Dawn Scott asked herself in the lead up to France this year.

Scott joined the USWNT staff in 2010 and has been committed to making the program as elite as possible via technology and scientific research. During her time, she has introduced things like hydration and nutrition programs, heart rate monitors and GPS tracking. No matter the initiative, the goal has been to take training, performance, and recovery to new heights.

This was the idea behind the unprecedented period monitoring program introduced during France 2019. Over the past few years, sports science and wellness research has witnessed an increased interest in the effects of the menstrual cycle. Studies have shown that a female body in menses, depending on the time, maybe more prone to injuries. In general, the various hormone levels can have an effect on performance and player health.

Since 2016, Scott had tracked players’ periods but she knew it was possible to tap into the science in a more effective and focused way. After getting some additional funding from US Soccer, she was able to bring in an expert consultant on the matter.

Meet Georgie Brunvels from leading sports consultancy Orreco. With the help of Brunvels, players input info about their cycle into Orreco’s FitrWoman app. Brunvels and Scott were then able to see which players had symptoms at different phases of their cycle.

Knowing that hormones are their lowest during pre-menstruation and menstruation, the gurus could be proactive and diligent in getting the best out of each individual on the team. The app gave them insight into how they might adjust diet, training load, sleep habits, and lifestyle factors.

Attention to detail and the little things often matter the most to get to the top and stay at the top. Here’s a fact that will forever be logged in the record books: Rose Lavelle scored in the World Cup final. The fact that you won’t see in those books? The next day the midfielder got her period.

Even though Lavelle’s hormone levels were at a level that could have potentially been disruptive, she was one of the best players on the field that day. Scott will not make claims that the new emphasis on periods was what got the team that the fourth star but she will say that it was one of a hundred helpful things the team did on the path to victory. It’s hard to argue with that.

Of course, not every team — world-class level or high school — has the resources to bring in a period pro like Brunvels. However, opening up the conversation around what has long been considered an awkward topic can go along way.

Players can get a sense of how to best take care of and push their bodies. Coaches — yes, even the male ones! — can better understand how to maximize player performance. It starts with breaking stigma through dialogue. Period.

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