BIOLOGICAL RHYTHM RESEARCH, cilt.55, sa.11-12, ss.547-554, 2024 (SCI-Expanded)
Literature exists on the relationship between the menstrual cycle and athletic performance among female athletes. Psychological changes during phases are also investigated by researchers, yet such changes need further examination. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to simultaneously investigate perceptions of flag football players towards pre- and post-training psychophysilogical variables in different phases. In total, 19 participants filled out a survey battery for 30 days which included items regarding pre-training (fatigue, sleep quality, muscle soreness, stress, mood, training motivation) and post-training (rate of perceived exertion, and training enjoyment) variables. These variables were compared across 3 phases (menstruation, follicular, and luteal) using one-way repeated-measures analysis of variance. Results showed no significant difference between different phases in terms of the study variables, allowing coaches to plan training programs without changing them according to menstrual cyles. However, it is important to consider individual differences and constantly monitor the well-being of athletes. .