Period issues: Golfer Lydia Ko leaves reporters speechless

Menstruation in top athletes
Period issues: Golfer Lydia Ko leaves reporters speechless

During the final round of the tournament, world number three Lydia Ko was treated on the green by her physiotherapist. Afterwards, “Golf Channel” commentator Jerry Foltz caught her on the edge of the course for an interview. According to “Spiegel”, he asked whether the “tense back and hips” could still become a problem in the course of the tournament.

The moderator had not expected this answer: It is “this time of the month – the ladies understand me” – and when that happens, she has a stiff back and everything is warped. “But it felt better immediately after Chris came,” Ko explains the treatment of her physiotherapist.

Sports reporter is speechless: golfer Lydia Ko speaks openly about her period

The open handling of her period caused the interviewer Foltz to stutter. He couldn’t get out more than a “thank you very much”. Ko responded confidently and broke the silence – laughing she said: “I know you’re at a loss for words, Jerry. But that was just being honest.”

She is celebrated online for her open approach to her period. The interview was widely shared on social media. The demand that it should finally be normal for menstruating people to talk about their periods keeps coming up. But it is still a taboo subject, especially in top-class sport.

Menstruation is still a taboo subject in top-class sport

Sophie Walker of Britain’s Women’s Equality Party wrote on Twitter of interviewer Foltz’s reaction: “Imagine you’re a sports reporter and you’ve never covered a key aspect of female athlete performance.” The issue is “definitely not getting enough attention,” said New Zealand Green Party leader Marama Davidson.

Once a top athlete talks about their period and how it affects athletic performance, it seems like a whole new phenomenon to the entire world. The Chinese swimmer Fu Yuanhui was already in the media at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. She had won fourth place with her team in the 4×100 meter long relay and said in front of the camera: “My period started last night and I feel pretty weak and really tired.”

Menstrual performance can be highly dependent on their cycle

This is not uncommon and most menstruators will be familiar with it. Many complaints or changes in mood and feelings can be explained by the menstrual cycle, because the hormone balance changes in each phase. There is no rule of thumb about exercise during your period. For some, the movement is good and helps with cramps or tension, others can hardly move, and any movement makes the pain and bleeding worse.

Just before the period, many people often feel bloated and physically less able to perform. Headaches, a feeling of tension in the breasts or severe mood swings are not untypical. During the period, the concentration of the hormones progesterone and estradiol are particularly low, because this is the only way to shed the lining of the uterus. During the period, other menstrual hormones – prostaglandins – become active. They help the uterus to contract, which in turn can lead to cramps.

In top-class sport, the topic of periods has become more and more important among athletes, and training plans are sometimes adapted to the cycle. Most people perform best in sport directly after their menstruation, and their lowest performance shortly before. Adjusting the plans to the cycle can therefore make sense.

Sources used: spiegel.de, twitter.de, Frauenaerzte-im-netz.de, vogue.de

slr
Bridget