Dina Asher-Smith comments on sports period 'helps start conversations'

She told BBC Sport that it is affected by menstruation and called for more research into how the menstrual cycle affects performance in female athletes.

Scottish long-distance runner Eilish McColgan also explained in her BBC Sport column how her period had affected her, revealing she had dropped out of the competition twice because of the time of the month.

“People don’t talk about it all the time…if it was a man’s problem, we would have a million different ways to fight things.

GB sprinter Dina Asher-Smith calls for more regular sports science after cramping in 100m final due to menstrual cycle https://t.co/hWvN8pOXnX pic.twitter.com/ZcFCthifp9

— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) August 19, 2022

Rebecca Robinson, Ph.D., who works in exercise medicine at Marylebone Health, acknowledges how much the menstrual cycle can affect an athlete’s performance.

“It’s true that women are affected very differently at different times of their menstrual cycle,” she told PA News Agency.

“Some will not have a significant impact on performance, while others will be very significant.

“If young athletes are starting out and it’s holding them back, it’s really important to talk about it and be recognized so they might think, ‘Oh, I’m not the only one, I’m not going. I think that’s why I’m leaving my sport.”

“And if it’s someone on a higher level, it’s never an excuse, it’s a good reason.

“You have to make sure everything around them is the best to help them perform.”

Women’s Super League side Manchester City announced last year that it had partnered with the British Institute of Sport to explore how the health of female athletes is understood.

Women at Manchester City announced last year that they would work together to better understand the health of female athletes (Martin Rickett/PA)

A better understanding could be an advantage at the highest levels of competition, but Robinson said it could also lead to more individual learning about how athletes can benefit from the cycle. suggested that it was sexual.

she said: the best for them. It’s really individual.

“It’s exciting because it points things towards more personalized medicine in general, or personalized science, and approaches to how people can optimize their health.

“Hopefully we learn about some of these hormones because we have this very impressive cycle for women, which is very obvious to most women. Yes, it may be useful for others.

“Also, it allows us to understand that men don’t have the same hormones or the same cycles, but we also understand how to use our bodies to take care of them and optimize their performance. You can also respect recovery and different times.What can be done for individual performance.

“In the future, I think we can see the sport moving forward.”

England won the 2022 European Championship last month (Jonathan Brady/PA)

This summer has become a celebration of women’s sports. Commonwealth Her Games featured British athletes, and in July the British Lioness won her first ever European Championship.

But the menstrual cycle still seems to be a taboo topic in women’s sports, and Dr. Robinson praised Asher Smith for being candid about its implications.

She adds:

“I think we should be really proud of these women who are doing well under the spotlight while at the same time addressing topics that are immediately useful for starting conversations.

“I think it’s outrageous, and I think it’s a real call, but we have to realize that we’re talking about something that’s limiting them, so it’s time to say, ‘Now is the time to do that.’ It’s time to have a conversation.” is a real call.

“What does that mean for people? What can we do to take that next step? I admit that there is