Adolescent health
Menstrual cycle affects women’s reaction time, study finds
Women show their fastest reaction times during ovulation, but physical activity level has a stronger effect on brain function, new research suggests.
The study examined how menstrual cycle phases and physical activity influenced cognitive tasks that reflect real-world decision-making and reactions, such as timing, attention and response speed.
Researchers tracked 54 naturally menstruating women aged 18–40 through four stages of their menstrual cycles.
Participants showed their quickest reactions and made the fewest errors on the day of ovulation — when the ovaries release an egg ready for fertilisation.
Scientists from UCL found that while mental performance varied slightly across the cycle, far greater differences appeared between active and inactive participants.
Those who were inactive had reaction times around 70 milliseconds slower and made about three times more impulsive errors, regardless of cycle phase.
The findings could have implications for women’s sport, where reaction-time differences of around 20 milliseconds may determine whether an athlete avoids or sustains an injury such as concussion.
Earlier studies have also linked higher injury risk to certain menstrual cycle phases.
Dr Flaminia Ronca is lead author from UCL Surgery and Interventional Science and the Institute of Sport, Exercise & Health.
The researcher said: “This is the first time we’ve directly measured ovulation in this context and we found that cognitive performance was at its best during this phase, with participants reacting around 30 milliseconds faster compared with later in the cycle, during the mid-luteal phase before periods begin.
“At elite level, this could make the difference between sustaining a serious injury in a collision or not.
“But the really interesting finding for me is that the difference between those who were active and inactive was much greater — around 70 milliseconds — enough time for the brain to register a stimulus and initiate a voluntary reaction. That’s far more meaningful for everyday life.
“This shows the importance of incorporating some form of recreational physical activity into our lives. It doesn’t have to be intense or competitive to make a difference – and crucially, it’s something we can control.”
Participants were grouped by exercise level: inactive (no structured exercise), recreationally active (at least two hours a week), club-level competitors, and elite athletes competing nationally or internationally.
Each participant completed mood questionnaires and cognitive tests on the first day of menstruation, two days after it ended (late follicular phase), the day ovulation was detected, and between ovulation and menstruation (mid-luteal phase).
Reaction times were slower during the mid-luteal phase, likely due to higher progesterone levels — a hormone known to slow brain processing.
However, accuracy did not decline, suggesting slower responses do not necessarily reduce performance quality.
More errors occurred in the late follicular phase, just after periods ended, though the reason remains unclear.
While 55 per cent of participants believed menstrual symptoms affected their performance, the researchers found no evidence to support this.
Reaction times during menstruation were actually faster than during the mid-luteal phase.
“It’s great to see that while participants assumed they were performing worse during menstruation, the findings don’t show any decline in cognition,” said Evelyn Watson, study author from UCL Surgery and Interventional Science and the Institute of Sport, Exercise & Health.
“If anything, cognitive performance peaked during ovulation.
“This is a positive outcome that we hope can help develop a new narrative in female health and performance.”
Dr Ronca added: “Working exercise into our day doesn’t need to be difficult.
“Some of our previous studies have shown that 15 minutes of moderate activity is enough to boost mood and cognitive performance — that’s equivalent to a brisk walk around the block or cycling to the shops.”
The 70-millisecond gap between active and inactive groups could be enough to determine whether someone regains balance after tripping, underlining how physical activity supports brain function beyond sport.
Adolescent health
WUKA brings Period-Positive Pool Party to London Aquatics Centre to keep girls swimming through puberty
This summer, WUKA and triple Olympian Hannah Miley MBE are bringing their Period-Positive Pool Party to London Aquatics Centre with one clear mission: to prove that periods should never keep anyone out of the water
At a time when 84 per cent of teenage girls in the UK say their interest in sport declines after starting their period – and nearly 70 per cent report skipping sports or swimming due to menstruation – WUKA’s immersive community event is tackling one of the most overlooked barriers to girls’ participation head-on.
WUKA’s Period-Positive Pool Party was created as a safe, inclusive space for teens to swim on their periods with confidence.
Following a series of sold-out events across the UK, including Eastleigh and Stonehaven in Hannah Miley’s hometown of Aberdeen, the London-based Olympic venue is a result of growing demand from teens and parents seeking supportive, stigma-free spaces to stay active during menstruation.
Why This Matters?
For many young people – particularly those who are not ready to use tampons due to age, comfort, cultural reasons, or parental guidance – swimming during their period can feel inaccessible.
WUKA’s period swimwear offers an alternative designed to provide comfort, coverage, and confidence, helping ensure that periods don’t mean sitting on the sidelines.
The new one-hour London takeover combines swimming, education, and empowerment in one of the UK’s most iconic sporting venues.
Breaking The Stigma While Making A Splash
So much more than a product event, WUKA’s Period-Positive Pool Party is a fully immersive experience featuring a DJ-approved summer playlist, inflatable pool installations, and professional underwater photography capturing barrier-free swimming moments. Every teen will also receive a curated £80 wellness goodie bag, including free WUKA swimwear.
But more than anything, they’re about freedom, confidence, and belonging, ensuring the confidence to swim, period, or not, continues long after they leave the water.
Hannah Miley MBE says: “Being an athlete taught me that your cycle isn’t a weakness, it’s just something to manage.
“Partnering with WUKA for this Pool Party is about showing young swimmers that with the right support and the right kit, they don’t have to press pause on their lives or their sport because of their period.”
WUKA Founder Ruby Raut says: “This is about more than a pool party – it’s about changing what inclusion in sport actually looks like.
“Too many girls step back from swimming and physical activity because of period stigma or lack of options.
“Through community-led events like this, we’re breaking barriers, building confidence, and making sure no one feels excluded from sport because of their cycle.”
Saturday 30th May 2026 | 5–6pm | London Aquatics Centre
Want to join the pool party? Follow this link to buy your tickets
France will reimburse reusable period products for women under 26 and those on low incomes, in a move aimed at tackling period poverty.
The measure is expected to help 6.7m people, almost a tenth of France’s population of 69m, from the start of the next academic year in the autumn.
Women under 26 with a state health insurance card, as well as women of all ages who receive special healthcare support because of limited income, will be able to claim reimbursement after buying the products from a pharmacy. The cost will be covered through the country’s social security system.
Parliament approved the measure as part of the country’s social security budget for 2024. However, no decree was issued to bring it into force, prompting anger among feminist groups and companies making the sustainable sanitary items.
A survey of 4,000 women in France in November found that one in ten had used alternatives to mainstream period products, such as ripped-up clothes, because of tight budgets, according to French charity Dons Solidaires.
France cut sales tax on period products from 20 per cent to 5.5 per cent in 2016. In 2020, Scotland became the first country in the world to sign into law free universal access to period products in public buildings.
A new Female Health Hub launched by the English FA will support women and girls in grassroots football in England with trusted advice on health issues affecting play.
The hub brings together expert-backed guidance, practical tools and player insights in one place, giving women and girls practical advice and reassurance on female health in football.
It has four core aims: to help women and girls better understand their bodies and how female health affects performance and participation, to educate players on key health topics and when to seek further advice or support, to provide practical strategies to help navigate common female health challenges, and to help break down taboos and normalise conversations around female health in football.
Users of the hub will also be able to hear directly from members of the England women’s national team, who share their own experiences of navigating female health matters while playing at the highest level of the game.
“Our ambition is to create a game where women and girls can thrive,” said Sue Day, the FA’s director of women’s football.
“To achieve that, it’s essential that players feel supported in environments that understand and respond to their female health needs.
“We’ve heard directly from grassroots players that they want better information and support around female health, but that they often don’t know where to find it.
“The launch of the Female Health Hub marks an important step in changing the landscape.
“We want every player to feel confident in her own skin and supported without judgment, so she can feel empowered by her body, rather than held back by it.”
The platform was launched following research conducted by the FA that highlighted the need for better education and support around female health in football.
According to the FA, 88 per cent of adult players surveyed said their menstrual cycle has an impact on their ability to train or play, but 86 per cent reported they had never received education about the menstrual cycle in relation to football performance and training.
The research also found 64 per cent of women experience issues related to sports bras or breast health while playing football, despite sports bras being considered one of the most important pieces of playing kit.
Players also expressed strong interest in learning more about injury prevention, at 87 per cent, nutrition, at 84 per cent, and mental health, at 77 per cent, in relation to female health.
The first phase of the Female Health Hub focuses on three of the most requested topics: menstrual health, breast health and injury resilience, with further content to follow, including nutrition and pelvic health guidance.
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