--- title: Does menstrual cycle phase affect how the brain reacts to heading a ball in female footballers? description: Menstrual cycle phase does not change how the physical force of heading affects the brain, but the brain's thinking ability does change across the menstrual c url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/non-concussive-impacts-cognition-and-the-menstrual-cycle-a-proof-of-concept-2026/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does menstrual cycle phase affect how the brain reacts to heading a ball in female footballers? Study, 2026 # Does menstrual cycle phase affect how the brain reacts to heading a ball in female footballers? Menstrual cycle phase does not change how the physical force of heading affects the brain, but the brain's thinking ability does change across the menstrual cycle. This was a small proof-of-concept study. Early or limited evidence Five elite female footballers, average age 23 years ## What they did Five elite female footballers tracked their menstrual cycle for 16 weeks. Each week they performed a controlled heading drill from 5 meters away. Researchers measured head acceleration using instrumented mouthguards and tracked cognitive ability. ## What they found The study recorded 256 headers total. Head acceleration did not differ across the different phases of the menstrual cycle. However, changes in cognitive performance were related to both heading completion and menstrual cycle phase. The study also showed the mouthguard equipment was safe and effective to use. ## What it means for you This suggests that menstrual cycle hormones may affect how the brain works independently from the physical impact of heading. However, this is a very small study with only 5 athletes in controlled conditions. Larger studies are needed, including testing during real matches rather than drills. 5 elite female footballers 16 weeks study duration 256 headers recorded ## About the study Original title Non-concussive impacts, cognition, and the menstrual cycle: a proof-of-concept study of elite female footballers Authors Tari B, Lowery M, Jones CM et al. Journal Experimental brain research Year 2026 Study design Study What was tested Weekly controlled heading drill Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1007/s00221-026-07300-2](https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-026-07300-2) Original abstract Evidence indicates females may be more susceptible to sports-related concussion with worse and prolonged symptom severity according to menstrual cycle phase. We investigated whether menstrual cycle phases influence non-concussive heading kinematics in elite female footballers, and whether these impacts affect an athlete's cognition. Five eumenorrheic elite female footballers (M age = 23 ± 4 years) participated in a 16-week proof-of-concept study wherein menstrual cycle phases were tracked, and cognition was monitored. Participants performed a weekly controlled heading drill by heading a ball thrown from 5 m away. Head accelerations were measured using custom-moulded PROTECHT instrumented mouthguards. 256 headers revealed no significant differences in head acceleration across the various phases of the menstrual cycle. However, change in cognitive performance was related to heading completion and menstrual phase. Hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle may influence cognition independent of head impact biomechanics among elite female athletes, under controlled conditions. We note that our study also demonstrated the safety and efficacy of the mouthguard equipment employed here, as well as the ease with which the protocol was received by the athletes. These outcomes should be considered when implementing future research with larger cohorts and the inclusion of match-related heading. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Cognition, concentration and memory](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-cognition/)[Athletes and sport](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-athletes/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Systematic review, 2022 Do athletes' feelings and performance change across the menstrual cycle? Survey study, 2025 Do mental abilities like reaction time and attention change across the menstrual cycle? Survey study, 2024 What premenstrual symptoms do martial arts athletes experience? Randomised trial, 2023 What does research show about PMDD neurochemistry? Randomised trial, 2023 Does a smartphone app for heart rate variability biofeedback reduce premenstrual and depressive symptoms? Case-control study, 2019 Does inflammation affect mood in women with PMS? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗