Research explores link between diet, menstruation
Can diet impact female athletes’ performance at various stages within their menstrual cycles?
It’s a complex question that requires meticulous research, which for years has been sparse.
Nutrition researchers at TWU’s Houston campus, in collaboration with researchers at the University of Virginia and Arizona State University, have been analyzing the intersection of diet and exercise with the menstrual cycle over the past year.
While results are preliminary, they reveal variations on how the female body burns calories after a meal at different stages within a menstrual cycle.
Although these changes — spurred by variations in hormonal levels — are small, they may impact fueling decisions for athletes to optimize performance.
The findings also contradict an earlier study that suggested no differences in how the body burns calories across the menstrual cycle.
Research findings will come into sharper focus after the study is completed this spring. It’s the kind of cuttingedge research that TWU conducts — and can impact women everywhere.
For athletes, the findings may have implications on performance; for someone who is diabetic, the findings may inform dietary decisions on carbohydrate consumption, said Wesley Tucker,
PhD, assistant professor of nutrition.
What’s clear is better research will help define nutrition needs for female athletes, Tucker said.