Date
4-29-2026
Department
School of Health Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Health Sciences (PhD)
Chair
Joshua Dexheimer
Keywords
menstrual cycle, running, endurance, fatigue, heart rate, time to exhaustion, rating of perceived exertion
Disciplines
Medicine and Health Sciences
Recommended Citation
Monk, Julia M., "Impact of the Menstrual Cycle on Female Endurance Athletes' Performance" (2026). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 8259.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/8259
Abstract
Background: During different phases of the menstrual cycle, a female endurance athlete will experience some physiological and fatigue variables. This study aims to analyze whether the differences in variables, specifically an increase in heart rate and fatigue, impacts endurance performance. Method: 20 endurance-trained, runners performed a maximal treadmill test in each of the phases of the menstrual cycle: early follicular phase (days 2–3, ± 1 day), mid-follicular phase (days 10–12, ± 1 day), and luteal phase (days 21–22, ± 1 day). Heart rate was measured before, during, and immediately after the test as well as time to exhaustion and the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) (evaluated on a scale of 1-10).
