Abstract

A study was carried out with the goal of evaluation the physical and physiological performance at different moments of the menstrual cycle, a sample, consisting of four sportswomen, aged between 20 and 24 years, and with regular 28-day menstrual cycles, was studied. The test done was Mader (Rodriguez, 1985) over 300 meters of distance, and consisted in covering the distance twice, firstly at 90% and secondly at 100%. It was carried out at two moments in the menstrual cycle: day 14 (considered as the moment of ovulation) and the first day of menstruation. After analyzing the results it was noted that on the first day of menstruation the speed of anaerobic threshold was less that day 14 of the cycle, which indicates that the athlete begins accumulating lactate befbre. It was also noted that the concentration of lactate was higher the .first day of menstruation. From these two results it can be deduced that aerobic endurance is less on the first day of menstruation than in respect to day 14. The capacity for immediate recovery (3′) alsolalls slightly when menstruation begins; however the capacity of recovery over a longer period (10′) goes up. A lessening of performance at the moment of the start of menstruation was also noticed, with a great diversity in the results of the sportswomen making up the sample. The values of cardiacal frequency, glucose and body weight scarcely changed.