It's no shame. Period!

It’s 'that time of the month’ or ‘just girl things’ would have been subtle headlines.

After all, conveying the message with a bit of shame and beating around the bush has become the norm for women since forever. It’s quite similar to the sanitary napkin commercials depicting the colour of blood as blue rather than red that everybody grew up watching, wondering or simply changing the channel.

In a society where menstruation and menstrual cycles are still considered taboo topics to discuss, it is also, unsurprisingly, the least spoken about and brushed aside issue in the sporting ecosystem. It was perhaps the reason for several raised eyebrows when a handful of elite female athletes ‘fearlessly’ spoke about the correlation between periods and performance in recent years.

“I wish I could be a man,” said tennis player Zheng Qinwen after battling severe menstrual cramps during her quarterfinal loss to World No. 1 Iga Swiatek at the French Open in Paris a few days ago.

Read | Going green is the new red, period.

The 19-year-old Chinese, who needed a medical timeout to strap her injured right leg mid-way through a three-setter, added: “The leg made it tough. But compared to the stomach pain, that was easy. I always have so much pain on the first day.”

“I know you’re lost for words, Jerry. Honesty it is,” laughed off World No. 4 golfer Lydia Ko after a male interviewer looked flummoxed with her reply of period pain and not an injury being the reason for receiving treatment for her back during an LPGA event in California a month ago.

“So when that happens, my back gets really tight and I’m all twisted. So, yeah, there you go,” the New Zealander had explained before getting a ‘Uh, thanks’ from Golf Channel’s Jerry Foltz.

Day 1, 2..

Though humankind has witnessed rapid growth in medical sciences especially over the last century, little is known about the impact of the menstrual cycle on athletes’ performance. It wasn’t until a decade ago that researchers looked into the subject of fluctuating levels of female hormones (estrogen and progesterone) leading to physical/ psychological changes amplified by exercise.

For swimmer Maana Patel, who represented India at the Tokyo Olympics, her period went from being irregular to prolonged because of the number of hours she spends everyday in water.

“Initially it would start whenever. This affected my training and competition schedule. But I didn’t have cramps then, it was only in the last 4-5 years that periods started hurting,” said the backstroke specialist.

“Because of being in the pool for so many hours each day, the body cools down and my periods prolong. It goes on for a week with intermittent bleeding. I do not bleed for 2-3 hours after coming out of the pool,” she added.

Also read | Do you feel sick before your period? Here's why

The 21-year-old was left with no choice but to take a pill to postpone her menses that coincided with the biggest race of her young career at the Olympics last year.

“But I don’t think it really worked because I had a bit of spotting the previous evening,” she recalled.

Even as studies suggest a higher risk of injuries before and during menstruation, several women athletes have also reported to have achieved their personal best during all phases of a menstrual cycle.

Ankita Raina, India’s no. 1 tennis player in singles, is someone who has experienced both the extremes. “Forget stepping out on the court, there have been times when I couldn’t get out of bed or even sit. But I’ve also peaked and played my absolute best during my period,” said the 29-year-old who has reached the highest ranking of 160 in the world.

Along with the highs and lows, a sense of fear almost always lingers around. “Getting my periods during Wimbledon was scary because of the all-white attire including the undergarments. Luckily, I pulled through,” she added.

Day 3, 4..

‘Embarrassing’ might be the most common word associated with the monthly occurrence, but many in the male-dominated space of coaches, trainers or physiotherapists considered it to be an excuse for missing training or underperformance at competitions.

Also Read | The missing menstrual cycle

With better knowledge now, there is more sensitivity and inclusiveness.

“It is not a difficult conversation to make among youngsters anymore. We encourage them to not hesitate in keeping us informed,” said Jagadish Yadav, coach of upcoming badminton doubles pair Ashwini Bhat and Shika Gautam and more than 25 girls at his badminton academy in Bengaluru.

“Some of the parents of students from smaller towns are the ones we have to convince and educate as they think a girl should not play during her periods,” he added.

“I plan the schedule accordingly. It is a balance between understanding when to take it easy and helping them to cope with it. Of course, there is medication to reduce pain or postpone periods but that’s the last option,” explained Sudhir Kumar, three-time Commonwealth Games medallist and a weightlifting coach in Bhadravati, Shivamogga.

Day 5.. Forever!

From having no choice but to go about it quietly during her athletic years in the 80s, Olympian Ashwini Nachappa said it’s liberating to see more people in the sporting community being candid about women’s health.

“This has to become a part of our ‘growing up as an athlete’ journey for not just girls but include the boys to spread awareness,” opined Ashwini. Top sportswomen addressing the issue without reluctance has had a positive effect among women in sport, paving the way for many to seek help without hesitation.

“It’s always better to be open about it rather than suffering alone. It makes one confident. By hiding it, we are contributing to the stigma attached to menstruation or being ashamed of something that’s natural and absolutely normal,” felt professional golfer Neha Tripathi.

“How many tournaments can I skip? Or not perform? Or beat myself up for not performing because of it? Over time you learn to let the mind control the body rather than the other way around,” summed up Neha.