Menstrual Cycle Tracking in Women’s Football

Soccer Football - UEFA Women’s Champions League - Paris St Germain v Bayern Munich - Bayern Munich’s Momoko Tanikawa scores their second goal REUTERS/Benoit Tessier

Until recently, research on menstrual cycles in sports has been fragmented, inconsistent, and often misinterpreted⁽¹⁾. In women’s football, research has stood on the sidelines with claims that certain phases predispose female athletes to performance dips or higher injury risk persist. The dialogue has been dominated by anecdote: coaches assuming that players are slower, weaker, or more injury-prone during particular phases of their cycle. Yet rigorous scientific evidence linking menstrual phases to measurable changes in performance or injury risk remains elusive^(1,2,3). 

Recognizing this knowledge gap, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) assembled a multidisciplinary panel of experts to develop an evidence-based consensus on best practices for menstrual-cycle tracking in women’s football. Their aim was not to create another performance algorithm, but to embed an athlete-centered, ethically responsible model that promotes health, autonomy, and long-term performance^(1,5).