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Menstruation and athletics
生理期和田徑
Cycle races
周期比賽
Menstrual cycle coaching may help sports women improve their performances.
生理周期指導可以幫助運動女性提高她們的表現。
Just 0.63 seconds separated first from fourth place in the women’s 100 metres freestyle at the recent Tokyo Olympic Games -- a race where the winning time was 51.96 seconds.
在最近的東京奧運會女子100米自由泳比賽中，第一名和第四名的差距只有0.63秒--奪冠者用時為51.96秒。
In light of this and similar facts, it is not surprising that elite athletes are constantly searching for ways to get even 1% better.
鑒于這一點和類似的事實，精英運動員不斷地尋找方法，哪怕為了提高1%也不奇怪。
To that end, they hire strength coaches, nutritionists and sports psychologists.
為此，他們聘請了力量教練、營養師和運動心理學家。
And lately, some female athletes have been trying a new tack: working with menstrual-cycle coaches.
最近，一些女運動員一直在嘗試一種新方法：隨著生理周期進行訓練。
Good data concerning the effects of menstruation on athletic performance are scant.
關于月經對運動成績影響的好數據很少。
However, according to four studies conducted in 2020 on more than 250 athletes from a range of sports, more than half of sportswomen believe their performance fluctuates with the phase of their menstrual cycle.
然而，根據2020年對來自不同運動項目的250多名運動員進行的四項研究，超過一半的女運動員認為她們的表現會隨著生理周期的不同而波動。
In particular, many said they suffered in the weeks immediately before and during menstruation.
特別是，許多人說他們在生理期前和生理期期間很痛苦。
World-class performers like Fu Yuanhui, a Chinese swimmer, have spoken openly about this, too.
像中國游泳運動員傅園慧這樣的世界級運動員也公開討論過這一點。
And female athletes also report distraction and worry about bleeding while actively menstruating, a matter which made the news recently when a group of activists protested about the all-white dress code at the Wimbledon tennis championships.
女運動員也表示，在月經來潮時會分心和擔心出血，最近一群活動人士抗議溫布爾登網球錦標賽上全白色的著裝要求，這件事成了新聞。
There is, as well, the question of safety.
此外，還有安全問題。
Again, this is poorly researched.
同樣，這方面的研究也很少。
An exception, though, is damage to the anterior cruciate ligament (acl) of the knee.
不過，膝關節前交叉韌帶(ACL)受損是一個例外。
Women are much more prone to acl injuries than men and some studies suggest the level of risk is related to the menstrual cycle.
女性比男性更容易發生前交叉韌帶損傷，一些研究表明，風險水平與月經周期有關。
Given the wide physiological effects of that cycle, the neglect of its consequences for sport is stark.
考慮到這一周期的廣泛生理影響，忽視其對體育運動的影響是顯而易見的。
The intricate monthly tango of oestrogen and progesterone, the main hormones which regulate it, has consequences far beyond preparing the body to reproduce.
雌激素和孕激素每月錯綜復雜的變化，是調節生理期的主要荷爾蒙，其影響遠遠超出了身體做好生育準備的范圍。
The complexity of this dance, compared with the hormonal stability of men, is one reason for that neglect.
這種變化的復雜性，與男性荷爾蒙的穩定性相比，是被忽視的原因之一。
But others are that sport is studied largely by male researchers, and male sport is currently more prominent and better paid.
但其他人認為，體育運動主要是由男性研究人員研究的，目前男性體育運動更突出，收入也更高。
The menstrual dance is, indeed, complex.
生理期的變化確實是復雜的。
For a start, oestrogen is anabolic, building up muscle, while progesterone is catabolic, breaking it down.
首先，雌激素是合成代謝的，可以增強肌肉，而黃體酮是分解代謝的，可以分解肌肉。
Then, at the beginning of the cycle, body cells prefer to metabolise carbohydrates.
然后，在周期的開始，身體細胞更喜歡代謝碳水化合物。
Later on, they prefer fats.
后來，他們更喜歡脂肪。
During the luteal phase, immediately after ovulation, when both hormones are high, the body is less resilient to stress and more prone to inflammation.
在排卵后的黃體期，當兩種激素都很高時，身體對壓力的適應性較差，更容易發生炎癥。
At this point women have increased appetites, higher internal temperatures, higher resting heart rates and higher respiratory drive.
此時，女性的食欲增加，體內溫度升高，靜息心率加快，呼吸動力增強。
They also retain water and salt, causing them to put on weight.
她們還會保留水分和鹽分，導致體重增加。
Their heat tolerance is reduced, too.
她們的耐熱性也降低了。
And their moods and emotional regulation suffer.
她們的情緒和情緒調節也會受到影響。
