Family Medicine Research Day

Care of the female athlete has come to the forefront of the Sports Medicine Field as of late for many reasons. One of the areas is related to the impact the menstrual cycle has on athletic performance in the biologically female athlete. The Sports Performance team at a Division I University organized a Female Athlete Summit aimed at educating their scholar athletes about the female specific physical and mental aspects of sport. Our goal was to establish a baseline of knowledge in the body of female athletes about the effects of the menstrual cycle has on athletic performance. 46 completed the pre-summit survey, and 37 completed the post-summit. De-identified data was reviewed and demonstrated an average pre-summit knowledge base of 5.065, and a post-summit knowledge base of 8.838 out of a scale of 0 to 10, 0 being having no knowledge, and 10 being having all the knowledge. Another survey demonstrated an average period length of 4.069 days, the most common symptoms experienced during menses to be cramping (31/41) and mood changes (27/41), and a concern of the menstrual cycle effecting energy level (30/41) and strength (20/41) as the top two concerns about the effect the menstrual cycle has on athletic performance. The significance of this study lies in identifying the knowledge gaps in understanding the needs of female athletes. By identifying the gaps this study aims to pave the way for evidence-based interventions that can enhance performance, mitigate potential challenges, and promote optimal health outcomes for the female athlete.