Does the Menstrual Cycle Affect Attention and Spatial Thinking in Female Athletes?

In a recent study published in the journal Neuropsychologia, researchers examine whether cognitive performance fluctuates across the menstrual cycle and whether these variations are influenced by sport participation and skill level. p>

Previous research has shown that female athletes are more likely to experience injury during certain stages of the menstrual cycle, depending on the type of injury. Cognitive function, hormonal levels and spatial perception can be negatively affected by different phases of the menstrual cycle.

The present study examined changes in cognitive control, spatial perception, and temporal anticipation as a function of menstrual cycle phase. Associations between sport knowledge and experience and performance in these activities were also examined.

Participants aged 18 to 35 years were recruited for the study through convenience and snowball sampling, as well as the Prolific online platform using stratified samples. Participants were excluded if they had irregular menstrual cycles, amenorrhea, using non-contraceptive hormones, were perimenopausal, currently pregnant or breastfeeding or within the last three months, or had neurological disorders.

At baseline, 394 participants completed an online questionnaire about demographics, athletic activity and level of competition, frequency of physical activity, use of hormonal medications or contraceptives, and cycle characteristics (for women). Participants then completed cognitive tests, a mood questionnaire, and a symptom questionnaire at two-week intervals. The final sample included 241 people with an average age of 28 years.

Cognitive tests assessed reaction speed, attention, visuospatial abilities and time expectancy. Three factors were derived from factor analysis, including reaction time, intrapersonal variation, and errors.

Cognitive tasks included simple reaction tests (SRT), sustained attention (SA), and inhalation tests. In the SRT exercise, participants pressed the spacebar when a happy or winking face appeared on the screen. In the SA task, they pressed the spacebar when they saw a winking face, and in the inhalation task, when they saw a happy face.

In a three-dimensional (3D) spatial perception task, participants counted cubes in a 3D object. In the 3D mental rotation task, a prime stimulus appeared with two other objects, one of which represented the prime stimulus and the other did not.

In a test of rhythmic temporal anticipation, participants pressed the space bar when they believed that a picture of a cat would appear in the last window. In the spatial-temporal anticipation test, they pressed the space bar when they expected two balls to collide.

Men and women showed the same reaction speed and accuracy, regardless of contraceptive use. However, intrapersonal studies showed that women with regular menstrual cycles performed better on tasks during the menstrual phase compared to other phases, showing faster reaction times, fewer errors, and reduced intrapersonal variability.

Women showed slower reactions and worse time expectancy in the luteal phase of the cycle, and made more errors in the ovulation phase. Self-reports of emotional, physical, and cognitive symptoms were worst during the menstrual phase. Many women also expressed a belief that their symptoms negatively impacted their cognitive performance on the day of the test, which was inconsistent with their actual results.

There were no significant correlations between cognitive composite scores and sport types. Cognitive performance was not affected by level of competition or type of sport. Women with natural cycles reported worse mood and more physical and cognitive symptoms compared to men.

The processes of anticipation and visuospatial perception, which may be involved in various sports, change during different phases of the menstrual cycle. Cognitive tests, especially spatial-temporal expectancy tests, show better performance in the menstrual phase and poorer performance in the luteal phase, suggesting that cognitive factors influence injury risk in some women.

The discrepancy between women's perceptions of the impact of their cycle on their mood and actual reports of mood and symptoms may help change perceptions of performance in women with natural cycles. However, more research is needed to confirm these findings and create actionable solutions.