This narrative review explores the findings of studies investigating the effects of menstrual cycle phase on perceived and objectively measured performance in an athletic population. Studies examining objective performance (using anaerobic, aerobic or strength-related tests) do not report clear, consistent effects of the impact of menstrual cycle phase on physical performance. Overall sport performance can be influenced by both perceived and physical factors.

More than three quarters (76.8%; n = 96) described their cycle negatively affected performance. Amongst those who reported when the negative impact occurred (n = 91), 40% (n = 36) reported this in the late luteal phase and 35% (n = 32) during the early follicular phase. Despite the absence of high-quality data identifying any significant impact of menstrual phase upon performance, we clearly identify herein that top-level athletes perceive their performance to vary throughout the menstrual cycle.

The PDF article from the *International Journal of Reproduction, Contraception, Obstetrics and Gynecology* is titled "The effect of the menstrual cycle on physical characteristics (speed, strength, and endurance) in women in Saudi Arabia."[6] At the end of the manuscript, the recommended citation reads: "Cite this article as: Alnefaie ZM, Albanna AK, Almuwallad AA, Atallah SM, Abutowaimah SE, Ibrahim GD, et al. The effect of the menstrual cycle on physical characteristics (speed, strength, and endurance) in women in Saudi Arabia. Int J Reprod Contracept Obstet Gynecol 2024;13:1626-31."[6] This is an original research study on women in Saudi Arabia, not a narrative review, and the listed authors differ from "M. Alnefaie, W. K. Abdelbasset, and R. Alotaibi."

This article in *International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health* is titled "The Impact of Menstrual Cycle Phase on Athletes' Performance".[8] The abstract states: "This narrative review explores the findings of studies investigating the effects of menstrual cycle phase on perceived and objectively measured performance in sportswomen."[8] The authors listed are McNulty et al., and the focus is on athletes' performance, but the title and author list do not match "The impact of the menstrual cycle on speed, strength, and endurance in female athletes" or the author names in the claim.

This article aims to broaden the awareness of the challenges faced by female athletes through an examination of the complex interplay of these factors. Basic research indicates that estrogen and progesterone levels may affect muscle function, energy metabolism, and thermoregulation; however, results in vivo remain inconclusive. A recent meta-analysis suggested that the menstrual cycle may have a trivial effect on performance. Therefore, even though the meta-analysis was performed, true, reliable conclusions on the effect of menstrual cycle on performance cannot be drawn.

We observed highly variable findings among the published reviews on the ostensible effects of female sex hormones on relevant RET-induced outcomes, including strength, exercise performance, and hypertrophy. The results from this systematic review and meta-analysis indicate that exercise performance might be trivially reduced during the early follicular phase of the menstrual cycle, compared to all other phases. Due to the trivial effect size, the large between-study variation and the number of poor-quality studies included in this review, general guidelines on exercise performance across the menstrual cycle cannot be formed.

The citation entry from *Research, Society and Development* refers to an article titled "The Impacts of the Menstrual Cycle on the Performance of Eumenorrheic Athletes: A Narrative Review".[9] The journal entry shows it is a narrative review on menstrual cycle impacts on performance in regularly menstruating athletes.[9] However, the citation style language metadata does not list authors named M. Alnefaie, W. K. Abdelbasset, or R. Alotaibi, nor does the title mention "speed, strength, and endurance."

The continually fluctuating hormones across the menstrual cycle may alter valid conclusions on the effects of the menstrual cycle phases on performance, recovery, and injury risk. This review outlines the current understanding of the menstrual cycle in team sport athletes and its implications for performance and health, highlighting the need for more high-quality research.

The article in *Quality in Sport* is titled "The Impact of the Menstrual Cycle on Sports Performance: A Narrative Review".[7] The abstract notes: "This review synthesizes recent scientific findings on the effects of MC phases on athletic performance, specifically examining endurance, strength, neuromuscular function, and perceived exertion."[7] The description states that hormonal fluctuations influence endurance, strength, and overall athletic performance, and that the review examines endurance and strength among other variables.[7] The DOI is given as 10.12775/QS.2025.39.58431, and the publication is dated "Online. 6 March 2025."[7] The title and year differ from the claimed 2024 review "The impact of the menstrual cycle on speed, strength, and endurance in female athletes," and the authors listed on the journal site are not "M. Alnefaie, W. K. Abdelbasset, and R. Alotaibi."

Research conducted in elite female soccer players found over 87% of players perceived reduced power and increased fatigue during menstruation, while over 66% perceived their reaction time and recovery to be affected. Consequently there is disagreement regarding whether the menstrual cycle universally affects athletic performance, with some research indicating no influence of the menstrual cycle on certain performance measures. Clearly the extent and severity to which the menstrual cycle impacts athletic performance is highly variable and complex, with more research needed.

A narrative review in *Nutrients* is titled "An Overview of the Impact of the Menstrual Cycle on Nutrient Metabolism".[5] The abstract begins: "This narrative review synthesizes current evidence on how menstrual cycle phase modulates energy balance, macronutrient metabolism, micronutrient handling, and responses to dietary bioactive compounds."[5] It focuses on metabolic aspects rather than speed, strength, or endurance performance, and the authorship list does not match M. Alnefaie, W. K. Abdelbasset, or R. Alotaibi. Thus it is a different narrative review related to the menstrual cycle but not the one claimed.

The medRxiv preprint titled "Measurement of changes to the menstrual cycle: A transdisciplinary systematic review evaluating measure quality and utility for clinical trials" is a systematic review of instruments measuring menstrual changes.[3] It reports: "We sought to systematically review approaches to measure four aspects of changes to the menstrual cycle—bleeding, blood, pain, and perceptions—caused by any source and used in any field."[3] The focus is methodological and not specific to athletes' speed, strength, or endurance, and the author names do not correspond to M. Alnefaie, W. K. Abdelbasset, or R. Alotaibi.

In *Applied Psychology Research* (3(2), 1432), Kurpanik et al. published a review titled "The impact of the menstrual cycle on emotions and behavior—A review of current research."[2] The snippet notes: "Kurpanik, M., Grzybowska, M., Krupa-Kotara, K., Barylska, K., Juraszek, P., & Grajek, M. K. (2024). The impact of the menstrual cycle on emotions and behavior—A review of current research."[2] This is a review concerning emotions and behavior, not athletic speed, strength, or endurance, and the authors and title differ from those in the claim.

Another narrative review from 2021 that analyzed a large number of studies on how the menstrual cycle impacts female athletes found that there were decreases in strength and aerobic performance in the late luteal phase (right before your period begins). The study concedes that more research needs to be done on this issue, as the data is fairly sparse. Other research also points to this decrease in performance during the late luteal phase.

The results indicate that 83% of athletes surveyed believe their menstruation affects their athletic performance, as well as 46.8% strongly believing this. The study investigated how different phases of the menstrual cycle impacted athletes’ perceived performance and symptoms.

The article "Impact of Hormonal Imbalance during Menstrual Cycle: A Review" discusses how fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone throughout menstrual phases lead to symptoms such as irregular periods, mood swings, fatigue, acne, and more serious conditions like PCOS and PMS.[1] It states: "This review highlights the significant impact of hormonal imbalance on the menstrual cycle and overall well-being of women."[1] The review concerns hormonal imbalance and general well-being, not specifically sports performance variables like speed, strength, and endurance, and it is not authored by M. Alnefaie, W. K. Abdelbasset, or R. Alotaibi.

The French National College of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians studied the impact of periods on elite athletes as they prepare for the 2024 Olympic Games. The survey found that many athletes reported pain, fatigue, and reduced performance during menstruation, underscoring the need to consider menstrual health in training and competition planning.

This review, available via PubMed Central, is titled "Factors Affecting Menstrual Cycle Developmental Trajectory in Adolescence: A Narrative Review".[4] It states that age at menarche and onset of regular cycles are influenced by genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors.[4] The scope is developmental aspects of the menstrual cycle in adolescence rather than athletic performance or physical characteristics, and the authorship does not match the names in the claim.

A longitudinal study involving 128 elite British female track and field athletes revealed that over three-quarters experienced negative effects on performance during their menstrual cycle. Specifically, 40% reported a decline in performance during the late luteal phase, and 35% during the early follicular phase. Another study examining strength and psychological state across athletes at different levels of conditioning found no significant performance differences between menstrual phases.

This narrative review explores how menstrual cycle phases may affect female athletes’ speed, strength, and endurance, synthesizing findings from studies on hormonal fluctuations and performance outcomes. The authors discuss perceived and objective changes across cycle phases and highlight inconsistencies in current evidence, calling for more rigorous research. (Note: This item reflects background knowledge of reviews on menstrual cycle and performance; the specific title and author trio in the claim cannot be verified in indexed literature.)