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Contrary to popular belief that menstruation impairs women’s abilities, a recent scientific investigation indicates that women may actually perform better and commit fewer mistakes while menstruating.
The research, carried out by teams at the University College London and the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health (ISEH), discovered that during the luteal phase, the time between ovulation and menstruation, women demonstrated slower response times and less accuracy in timing tasks.
Moreover, there was an increase in the number of mistakes observed around the time of ovulation.
Interestingly, this goes against the common self-perception among women of decreased performance during their menstrual period, which often includes experiencing lower moods and physical discomfort.
The study, published in the journal Neuropsychologia, noted that “a significant proportion of females felt that their symptoms were negatively affecting their cognitive performance during menstruation on testing day, which was incongruent with their actual performance”.
Involving 241 participants of both genders, the study required taking online tests while having their moods and symptoms tracked.
The tests were done twice, 14 days apart, assessing reaction times, attention, processing of visual information, and predictive timing—all key cognitive factors in team sports play.
Comparing male and female participants, no significant differences were identified in terms of reaction times and accuracy.
The findings particularly highlighted for females, as stated by Dr Flaminia Ronca, first author of the study, “challenge what women, and perhaps society more generally, assume about their abilities at this particular time of the month”.
In one section of the study, smiling and winking face icons were shown to participants, who were instructed to press a button only for smiles, to assess inhibition and attentive response. Another task involved recognizing mirror images in 3D shapes, and a different task required clicking when two balls on screen collided.
The analysis showed that during menstrual periods, women had improved timing, being roughly 10 milliseconds (12%) more accurate on the moving balls task, and demonstrated a 25% decrease in incorrect space bar presses in the inhibition task.
Conversely, during the luteal phase, women’s reaction times were slightly slower—by about 10-20 milliseconds in comparison with other phases—but without an uptick in mistakes.
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Dr Ronca voiced a hope that the study would “provide the basis for positive conversations between coaches and athletes about perceptions and performance: how we feel doesn’t always reflect how we perform.”
The research focused only on specific cognitive functions, not intelligence or IQ, thus it does not imply that menstrual phases influence intelligence levels, Dr Ronca clarified.
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FAQs:
- What does the new research say about women’s performance during menstruation?
- The new research suggests that contrary to common perceptions, women may actually perform better and make fewer mistakes while menstruating. In contrast, during the luteal phase, women showed slower reaction times and poorer timing anticipation.
- How was the study conducted?
- The study involved 241 men and women who took part in online tests that measured reaction times, attention, visual processing, and anticipation. The tests were carried out twice, 14 days apart.
- Did the study find differences between men and women’s performance?
- No, the study did not find significant differences in overall performance between men and women. However, it did find that women’s performances varied depending on their menstrual cycle phase.
- What implications does this research have?
- This research could lead to better understanding and normalization of menstrual cycles in the context of athletic and cognitive performance. It also suggests that how women feel during their menstrual period may not necessarily reflect their actual cognitive abilities.
- What does the research not imply about women during their menstrual cycle?
- The research does not imply that women’s intelligence or IQ levels change with their menstrual cycle. The study only focused on certain cognitive functions.
