According to a bold study, women might excel at certain cognitive tasks during their menstrual period. New Research from University College London (UCL) and the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health (ISEH) sheds light on this phenomenon.
Published in the peer-reviewed journal Neuropsychology, this study is the first of its kind to explore sports-related cognition throughout different phases of the menstrual cycle.
The study involved 241 participants who underwent various cognitive tests simulating mental processes relevant in team sports, such as recognizing expressions, attention, reaction time, and spatial awareness.
Participants also used a menstrual cycle tracking app to determine their phase during the testing period.
Surprisingly, contrary to their expectations, participants demonstrated faster reaction times and lower error rates during their period. For instance, their timing accuracy during a task improved by 10 milliseconds on average (12%) compared to other times.
Lead study author Dr. Flaminia Ronca from UCL Department of Surgery and Interventional Science and ISEH noted that the findings challenge assumptions about women’s capabilities during menstruation.
Conversely, during the luteal phase, participants showed slightly slower reaction times but maintained consistent error rates.
The authors highlighted that even a small difference of 10 milliseconds could impact performance outcomes significantly.
Dr. Megan Lawley, another author of the study, emphasized the importance of further research in understanding how women’s cognitive abilities affect athletic performance at different menstrual cycle stages.
About the Experts
Flaminia Ronca: Associate Professor in the Department of Targeted Interventions at UCL, with research interests in body-brain interaction through movement.
Megan Lawley: Senior Sports Scientist specializing in female athlete health and previously involved in research on athlete performance factors at UK Sport and Bangor University.
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Source: www.sciencefocus.com
