Chelsea FC Women is said to be the first football club to tailor players’ training around their periods, in a bid to improve performances and reduce injuries.
Manager Emma Hayes told The Telegraph she was inspired to make the change after watching the team lose to Arsenal in the 2016 FA Cup final, when a lot of the players were either on or around their period.
“I remember watching players close the ball down and thinking everything was reactive and second-best. That was the starting point,” she said, adding that until that point, training tactics had been geared towards the male body.
“I am a female coach in an industry where women have always been treated like small men. The application of anything from rehab to strength and conditioning to tactical all come from the basis of what men do.”
The club is now working with Dr Georgie Bruinvels, creator of the FitRWoman app, which enables women to track their periods so they can train smarter.
The app gives advice such as what foods you might want to eat at different times of your cycle and what types of training may benefit you most.
Research has suggested a link between injuries and hormonal fluctuations, with injuries thought to be more likely in the first half of the menstrual cycle. The new training regime is enabling Chelsea players to track this and adapt their workouts, Bruinvels explained.
While Chelsea is thought to be the first club to incorporate period tracking in day-to-day training, the USA team, USWNT, used period tracking ahead of their Women’s World Cup win last year.
Players in other sports also track their own periods to enhance their performance. England and Harlequins Women rugby player Rachael Burford previously told HuffPost UK she uses the FitRWoman app.
“I think it’s all about really knowing and understanding yourself,” she said. “Before, I never used to track it. And now, at least I’ve got a system I can refer to. It’s really, really useful just having knowledge about it because then you can control it in a really positive way.”
Tennis champion Heather Watson also told HuffPost she adapts her diet when she’s on her period, stating that bananas and caffeine-based energy gels are her go-tos.
“I feel a lot lower on energy and my temperature rises more when I’m on my period. Just before I start my period I have a lot of cravings as well. I tend to want to eat chocolate and sweet things,” she said.
“I have to make sure I have the right food and stuff with me on court that will give me that extra energy if I need it.”