Exercise testing in females

This chapter presents a systematic framework for working with female athletes, by providing insight into the implementation and interpretation of screening and monitoring tools. Screening tools, including questionnaires and/or interviews, are designed to obtain medical and family history, and identify any pre-existing conditions and risks which might precede medical conditions. Menstrual cycle length is calculated from the first day of a menstrual bleed to the first day of the next menstrual bleed. The fluctuations in sex hormones can be altered by pregnancy, chronological age and use of hormonal contraceptives. Screening can be used for the identification, and prevention, of medical issues. It is also for establishing performance-related implications. Practical methods are easy and affordable to implement. Calendar-based counting is the simplest tool, only requiring logging bleed days. Clinical monitoring methods can provide further insight into menstrual health, pathology and performance associations.