The Effect of Menstrual Cycle Phases on Agility and Shoulder Endurance in Recreational Basketball Players

Background: Basketball, a widely played sport globally, has seen an increase in injury rates among players, particularly in ankle and knee joints, due to high-intensity movements. Female players are more prone to injuries, and the menstrual cycle can significantly affect performance, with studies showing decreased performance during menstruation. Purpose: To investigate the effect of early or late follicular phase on agility and shoulder endurance in female recreational basketball players. Study Design: Descriptive laboratory study. Methods: A total of 30 eumenorrheic female recreational basketball players, with a mean +/- SD age of 21.3 +/- 1.4 years, were recruited for this study. Agility and shoulder endurance using the T-Drill Test and Shoulder Endurance test, respectively, during both the early (day 1) and the late (day 12) follicular phases of the menstrual cycle were assessed. Descriptive statistics were employed to analyze the data, and a paired-sample t test was conducted to compare the performances between the phases. Results: The results indicated that agility was higher during the late follicular phase compared with the early follicular phase (t29 = 4.25; P < .01; effect size, 0.47), while shoulder endurance was higher during early follicular compared with late follicular phase (t29 = 6.35; P < .01; effect size, 1.03). Conclusion: This study found that there were significant differences in agility and shoulder endurance between the early and late follicular phases of the menstrual cycle among recreational basketball players, potentially indicating risk of injury to the lower limb and shoulder during the early follicular phase.