Menstrual symptoms and perceived exertion in U14 and U16 players of the Chilean national women’s handball team
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v77.117856Keywords:
Dysmenorrhea, female handball, menstrual cycle, perceived exertion, trainingAbstract
Introduction: Sports participation in adolescent girls requires consideration of physiological and emotional factors that may affect performance. Among these, the menstrual cycle is a significant variable, as it can impact perceived exertion and tolerance to training loads. Despite increasing interest in this topic, there is limited evidence in team sports and Latin American youth populations.
Objective: To identify the most frequent symptoms during the menstrual phase and their relationship with perceived exertion in Chilean female handball players.
Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 48 players from the Chilean women’s national handball team, including U14 (n = 20; age 12–14) and U16 (n = 28; age 15–16) categories. Perceived exertion was assessed using the modified Borg scale, and menstrual symptoms were recorded through a structured questionnaire.
Results: A total of 18.8% of players reported a Borg level of 6. U14 players mainly reported a Borg score of 6 (25%), while U16 reported a Borg score of 7 (21.4%). The most frequent symptoms were abdominal pain (33.3%), bloating, and cravings (16.7% each). An association between menstrual symptoms and perceived exertion was observed (χ² = 26.36; p = .049), although agreement was weak (Kappa = .016).
Conclusion: Abdominal pain, cravings, and bloating were the most reported symptoms. While associations with perceived exertion were statistically significant, they showed weak agreement. Future studies should consider training load and symptom intensity to gain a more comprehensive understanding of perceived exertion in this population.
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