{"title":"‘I don’t want to be seen as period prone’: An exploration of psychological strategies used across the menstrual cycle","authors":"Carla Meijen, Emily A. Martin","doi":"10.1177/17479541241269274","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Despite increased attention on the menstrual cycle in sport, research has focused largely on physiological changes, with relatively little consideration for fluctuations in psychological responses and coping strategies used in training and competition. This study's primary focus was to explore athlete's coping strategies throughout the menstrual cycle. Participants ( n = 12) took part in a focus group or interview, facilitated by reflections from a diary and mapping exercise. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse the data, generating three themes: Impact of symptoms, coping strategies, and contextual constraints. Participants had increased awareness of physiological over psychological fluctuations, and associated symptoms were considered to impact practicalities of sport and performance. Participants used avoidance, acceptance, and planning to cope with the impact of menstrual symptoms. Coping options were influenced by contextual constraints, including the level of competition and type of sport. The findings showed that some participants lacked menstrual health literacy, especially in relation to psychological fluctuations. Continued efforts to raise awareness around the psychological symptoms of the menstrual cycle and its impact on performance and well-being are needed, not only for the athlete but importantly for the coaching population too. Specifically, consideration of the sporting culture and the space in which athletes feel they can communicate their coping strategies could be pivotal in moving forwards to help develop ‘period pro’ athletes.","PeriodicalId":47767,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.5000,"publicationDate":"2024-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching","FirstCategoryId":"95","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1177/17479541241269274","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"HOSPITALITY, LEISURE, SPORT & TOURISM","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Despite increased attention on the menstrual cycle in sport, research has focused largely on physiological changes, with relatively little consideration for fluctuations in psychological responses and coping strategies used in training and competition. This study's primary focus was to explore athlete's coping strategies throughout the menstrual cycle. Participants ( n = 12) took part in a focus group or interview, facilitated by reflections from a diary and mapping exercise. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse the data, generating three themes: Impact of symptoms, coping strategies, and contextual constraints. Participants had increased awareness of physiological over psychological fluctuations, and associated symptoms were considered to impact practicalities of sport and performance. Participants used avoidance, acceptance, and planning to cope with the impact of menstrual symptoms. Coping options were influenced by contextual constraints, including the level of competition and type of sport. The findings showed that some participants lacked menstrual health literacy, especially in relation to psychological fluctuations. Continued efforts to raise awareness around the psychological symptoms of the menstrual cycle and its impact on performance and well-being are needed, not only for the athlete but importantly for the coaching population too. Specifically, consideration of the sporting culture and the space in which athletes feel they can communicate their coping strategies could be pivotal in moving forwards to help develop ‘period pro’ athletes.
期刊介绍:
The International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching is a peer-reviewed, international, academic/professional journal, which aims to bridge the gap between coaching and sports science. The journal will integrate theory and practice in sports science, promote critical reflection of coaching practice, and evaluate commonly accepted beliefs about coaching effectiveness and performance enhancement. Open learning systems will be promoted in which: (a) sports science is made accessible to coaches, translating knowledge into working practice; and (b) the challenges faced by coaches are communicated to sports scientists. The vision of the journal is to support the development of a community in which: (i) sports scientists and coaches respect and learn from each other as they assist athletes to acquire skills by training safely and effectively, thereby enhancing their performance, maximizing their enjoyment of the sporting experience and facilitating character development; and (ii) scientific research is embraced in the quest to uncover, understand and develop the processes involved in sports coaching and elite performance.