Effects of menstrual cycle phase on linear and multidirectional speed performance in eumenorrheic and naturally menstruating females: a systematic review and call for rigorous research

Field, Adam ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2600-6182 (2025) Effects of menstrual cycle phase on linear and multidirectional speed performance in eumenorrheic and naturally menstruating females: a systematic review and call for rigorous research. Strength and Conditioning Journal. ISSN 1524-1602 (In Press)

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Abstract

This systematic review aimed to examine the effects of the menstrual cycle (MC) on linear and multidirectional speed (MDS) performance. PubMed, Medline, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science were searched for studies that investigated the effects of the MC on linear and MDS performance in eumenorrheic or naturally menstruating females. Seven of 956 articles were included. Five studies reported trivial to small non-significant differences between MC phases for linear speed completion times, split times, or force-velocity profile metrics. One study reported significantly moderately higher linear sprint average velocities over 10-m, 20-m, and 30-m during the late follicular phase. Three studies examined manoeuvrability, observing trivial to small non-significant differences between phases. Study quality was low to very low in six studies, with one moderate quality study. MC phase appears to have no significant effect on linear speed and manoeuvrability performance, with differences <3% across phases. The strength of evidence remains limited due to the generally low methodological quality, small sample sizes, and lack of standardised MC phase verification methods. Consequently, practitioners should exercise caution when modifying physical preparation and performance profiling strategies for eumenorrheic and naturally menstruating females, as current evidence does not support phase-based adjustments for linear speed and manoeuvrability performance.