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At the US Open 2021, Belinda Bencic (left) beat Iga Swiatek in straight sets.
Sven Micossereporter sports
US Open 2021: Belinda Bencic meets Iga Swiatek in the round of 16. The Pole was already among the top ten in the world, the Swiss just outside. A duel at eye level. “The whole tournament went well – until twenty minutes before the match.” The 25-year-old refers to her menstrual cycle. Complaints set in shortly before the game. What now? “I’m out on the court, the sun was burning at 30 degrees. It’s not easy, but it’s not impossible to do.” Bencic finally wins the game 7:6, 6:3.
But it can also turn out differently. A year earlier she met Anett Kontaveit in the third round of the Australian Open. The result: «0:6, 1:6. I didn’t hit a ball. But you also have to be able to deal with it.” During her period, the eastern Swiss woman usually feels stomach ache, but it is in the lower back that is usually the worst. “I also lose a bit of coordination because my body position shifts. I’m sluggish, tired and sometimes I’m sick.”
“Wimbledon relaxed the strict dress code”
The menstrual cycle is an integral part of the life and career of a top athlete. Depending on the phase, she can feel weak and powerless or completely the opposite: full of energy and zest for action. These are actually important elements for the training plan. For a long time, however, the cycle was not taken into account in the planning, it was hushed up, the physical condition was ignored by many coaching teams and the athletes.
The menstrual cycle
A woman’s menstrual cycle begins on the first day of her period. This takes around 28 days – but it varies depending on the person. Menstrual bleeding occurs during the period and can last up to five days. Symptoms such as cramps, headaches, abdominal pain, nausea or mood swings can occur during this time. In addition, female athletes are more prone to injury.
The cycle is divided into two phases, with ovulation occurring about halfway through.
Stage 1: follicular phase
This phase is the period between the onset of menstruation and the next ovulation. During this time, the body produces more of the female sex hormone estrogen and the egg cells try to grow.
ovulation
Ovulation occurs in the middle of the cycle. A mature egg cell can be fertilized for up to 24 hours so that pregnancy occurs.
Phase 2: luteal phase
After ovulation, progesterone, the counterpart of estrogen, is released in the female body. It is important for the maintenance and preparation of a pregnancy. If the woman is not pregnant, menstrual bleeding will start again at the end of the cycle. Before that, in some cases, the premenstrual syndrome (PMS) occurs, which can lead to various physical or psychological complaints.
A woman’s menstrual cycle begins on the first day of her period. This takes around 28 days – but it varies depending on the person. Menstrual bleeding occurs during the period and can last up to five days. Symptoms such as cramps, headaches, abdominal pain, nausea or mood swings can occur during this time. In addition, female athletes are more prone to injury.
The cycle is divided into two phases, with ovulation occurring about halfway through.
Stage 1: follicular phase
This phase is the period between the onset of menstruation and the next ovulation. During this time, the body produces more of the female sex hormone estrogen and the egg cells try to grow.
ovulation
Ovulation occurs in the middle of the cycle. A mature egg cell can be fertilized for up to 24 hours so that pregnancy occurs.
Phase 2: luteal phase
After ovulation, progesterone, the counterpart of estrogen, is released in the female body. It is important for the maintenance and preparation of a pregnancy. If the woman is not pregnant, menstrual bleeding will start again at the end of the cycle. Before that, in some cases, the premenstrual syndrome (PMS) occurs, which can lead to various physical or psychological complaints.
However, the problem is not to be found in sport, it is of a social nature. For years there has been the shame of speaking publicly on this subject. In recent years, however, this has loosened up – also in the cloakrooms of the sports world. Bencic: “It’s totally open between the players. You talk about it normally and exchange ideas.” In this regard, Wimbledon recently opened the door to a relaxation of the white dress code. This also allows players to wear dark underwear, which can be more comfortable for them, especially when they’re on their period.
The cycle played a role early on for Bencic
But there is still a lot of work to be done, as sports doctor and health performance manager at Medbase Bern and Swiss Olympic, Dr. Sibylle Matter Brügger (49), like this: “I talk to a lot of athletes in practice about the cycle and the adjustment of the training, who still say that they can’t talk to the trainer about it at all.” The menstrual cycle played a role early on for Bencic. Even when she had trained with her father Ivan, this was an issue. That’s how she does it today. “It’s super important that the coaching team knows when I have my period, as it has a major impact on training and competition. So it’s very open.”
Doctor Matter Brügger sees the trainers as having a duty in this regard. Because the motto is still too often: It’s normal to just keep training. “It’s about the willingness of the person to get involved in the subject. It’s not easy for the athlete. She might want to talk about it, but she can’t. But I see a great willingness on the part of the trainers who attend courses and lectures.”
Adrian Rothenbühler (48) gives such lectures. The ex-coach of star sprinter Mujinga Kambundji trains other trainers in this area with Swiss Olympic, tries to sensitize the coaches and also the athletes in the area of contraceptives and training plans.
Training in collaboration with the cycle
Cycle oriented: The cycle of the athlete is monitored together with the team of trainers and technological tools such as apps. In this way, complaints can be addressed and the loads can be adjusted accordingly. This form is also used in team sports. Chelsea FC was one of the first football clubs to implement this form of training in 2020.
Cycle controlled: In this form, the cycle determines the training plan in order to make the best possible use of the hormonal situation. This could mean that strength training is particularly suitable in the first phase of the cycle after menstruation. Thus, the athlete would only spend this time in the weight room. After ovulation, coordination exercises and physio units would be more important. This form of training is hardly feasible in team sports.
Cycle oriented: The cycle of the athlete is monitored together with the team of trainers and technological tools such as apps. In this way, complaints can be addressed and the loads can be adjusted accordingly. This form is also used in team sports. Chelsea FC was one of the first football clubs to implement this form of training in 2020.
Cycle controlled: In this form, the cycle determines the training plan in order to make the best possible use of the hormonal situation. This could mean that strength training is particularly suitable in the first phase of the cycle after menstruation. Thus, the athlete would only spend this time in the weight room. After ovulation, coordination exercises and physio units would be more important. This form of training is hardly feasible in team sports.
«The cycle-controlled training is the high-end product. Almost nobody does that. What most people do is cycle-optimized training. This means that you take account of the fluctuations in the cycle,” says Rothenbühler. It is important to respond to the complaints and to remain flexible and adapt the training content accordingly. “Sometimes I feel almost nothing, other days I can hardly get out of bed. I just have to communicate how I feel so that you can then discuss it, »says Bencic.
“Can do harm to a woman’s body”
Another important element in this context is the choice of the appropriate contraceptive. “The wrong choice can have a major impact on sports careers. This can damage a woman’s body so that she is no longer as productive as before,” says Rothenbühler.
The selection goes far beyond birth control pills and spirals. Often the question is whether the remedy should be hormonal or not. In order to be able to provide assistance with the election, the Olympic Association has developed an online flowchart. “So that the young women know how to proceed, which questions to ask, which products are available.”
Bencic once tried the pill but had to stop taking it. “It wasn’t good for me at all. My body has changed hormonally and didn’t like it at all.” Instead, she has her normal cycle – with all the pros and cons. “With our schedule, it’s actually impossible not to have the period in a match.”
“Where are we moving to?”
If the menstrual period comes before an important game or competition, the athletes could take the pill extraordinarily, suppressing their own hormone production and delaying the onset of the menstrual period. “But for us tennis players it makes almost no sense because we have a tournament practically every week. When you move, the question is: ‹Where do we move?›».
If she were in a Grand Slam final, she would consider it. But it’s not the healthiest. This notion is also taken by Dr. Matter Brügger: “If you don’t try it beforehand, you’re taking a risk. Because you don’t know how your body will react to it.” For women who are on the pill anyway, it is easier to delay the onset of menstruation. Reason enough for Bencic to rely on her normal cycle. “I just hope it’s enough on the pitch. Who knows, maybe the opponent will also have their days in the situation. »