Conversations around the menstrual cycle are increasing in women's sport, but athletes still face many challenges when it comes to managing their periods.
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00:00 When Aussie Stingers water polo player Keisha Gophers lost her period, she thought it was a good thing.
00:07 Something I didn't have to think about, some hassle I didn't have to really worry about,
00:11 and I actually didn't get my period for nine months and didn't seek any advice,
00:15 waited for it to come back and then it did. But I definitely do not recommend that.
00:19 When I probably wasn't eating enough and was put on a pretty low calorie meal plan,
00:23 I fully lost my period altogether and that's sort of, now I understand,
00:28 one of the first signs that you're not feeling properly and it's not a healthy goal to have to try and lose your period.
00:34 A regular menstrual cycle can be an important marker of health, but it's not the same for everyone.
00:40 And we really encourage our female athletes to get to know what is normal for them
00:45 and also see if that fits into what is normal generally.
00:49 More athletes are now tracking their periods on apps to tailor their training around different stages of their cycle.
00:56 And if you have an app like that, don't use it because it's not accurate.
01:01 We know that generalising advice around time of cycle and training has no scientific validity.
01:09 Dr White says it's important for athletes to monitor their own cycles
01:13 and make adjustments based on their specific needs.
01:17 There are practical considerations for athletes who menstruate too.
01:21 We're kind of aware, oh no, I don't want any blood to come onto my shorts,
01:24 especially if we're in our white jerseys, we're wearing white, it's a bit different when we're wearing the darker uniforms.
01:29 But we also joke about it, like, oh, can you make sure you're checking me throughout half times or timeouts.
01:35 There's agreement that education around the topic is improving, but more can be done.
01:40 Educating male coaches, helping them understand and how they can ask the right questions to encourage that conversation
01:49 because I think really young athletes would find it quite difficult.
01:54 Conversations that can benefit everyone in the long run.
01:58 [BLANK_AUDIO]