UEFA allocates €20,000 to research menstrual cycle effects on athletes’ performance and help teams and clubs improve their players’ health and well-being.
Manchester : Understanding the intricate relationship between the menstrual cycle and an athlete’s well-being and performance is essential to enabling the full potential of female players. For this reason, we are investing in pioneering research on the topic, led by a women’s health expert panel established in 2021.
The initiative recognises the pressing need for comprehensive research and data-driven insights related to female players’ health. The research panel includes football doctors and sports scientists, who meet regularly to identify key areas warranting further investigation. One glaring gap that emerged from these discussions was the inconsistent tracking and utilisation of data on menstrual health – a critical aspect often overlooked in the area of women’s football.
To address this gap, UEFA has allocated €20,000 to research for the current season, with an equivalent sum earmarked for 2024/25, underlining our commitment to driving change in the health and well-being of female footballers. Working closely with the research group responsible for our women’s elite club injury study, which looks at data from 15 top European clubs, we aim to better understand and explain the impact of menstrual cycles on a player’s performance.