The Menstrual Cycle
A working guide for Exercise Professionals
The menstrual cycle is now recognized as a vital sign, offering key insights into health and well-being. A healthy relationship with movement supports menstrual health, yet many women drop out of sports due to menstrual symptoms. Recently, some athletes have adjusted their training based on their cycle to improve performance— but does this approach really work? Join us to explore menstrual cycle anatomy and physiology, and learn how to better support your clients during this time.
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Learning Outcomes
1. Menstrual Cycle Anatomy & Physiology
2. What is 'Normal'
3. Menstrual Cycle Assessment
- Be able to safely and effectively screen someone for menstrual cycle dysfunction and appropriately refer
- Understand what is 'normal' when it comes to mental illhealth during different phases of the menstrual cycle
- Be able to discuss actual and perceived changes to performance with a client
- Identify the impact that symptoms may have on performance vs. different cycle phases
- Understand the anatomical structures involved in the menstrual cycle and how they control the hormonal cascade
- Explore the physiological changes that occur over the duration of the menstrual cycle including what happens in the brain and to metabolic patterns
- Explore the physiological changes that occur over the duration of the menstrual cycle including what happens in the brain and to metabolic patterns
2. What is 'Normal'
- Understand the incredible intraperson and interperson variability of the menstrual cycle
- Be able to identify how different phases of the menstrual cycle are identified in participants within the research
- Be able to identify how different phases of the menstrual cycle are identified in participants within the research
3. Menstrual Cycle Assessment
- Be able to safely and effectively screen someone for menstrual cycle dysfunction and appropriately refer
- Understand what is 'normal' when it comes to mental illhealth during different phases of the menstrual cycle
4. Exercise & the Menstrual Cycle - is cycle syncing a myth?
- Understand what cycle syncing is and why it has been presented as a popular concept- Be able to discuss actual and perceived changes to performance with a client
- Identify the impact that symptoms may have on performance vs. different cycle phases
Meet the speaker
Riley Dunn
Riley Dunn is an Accredited Exercise Physiologist, ESSAM and a current PhD Candidate at QLD University of Technology. She has worked clinically at Pear Exercise Physiology with special interests in exercise oncology, endometriosis, chronic fatigue & dysautonomia syndromes. She has a true passion for Women’s Health & Esports and has uniquely brought these two worlds together within her research where she is focusing on the application of women’s health practice in esports contexts to manage the health and performance of females esports professionals. She’s a true pioneer in this field and we cannot wait to see the outcome of her research!
Patrick Jones - Course author
The WHC acknowledges the Turrbal and Jagera people of the First Nation as the Traditional Custodians of Meanjin (Brisbane). They have resided here long before us and possess valuable traditional wisdom and healthcare knowledge. Our office is situated on their lands, where we gather, work, and learn.
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