While many hindering factors and barriers regarding the menstrual cycle related female athlete support have been identified in previous research, a more comprehensive and practical approach to female athlete specific support is yet to be taken. This thesis, therefore, aimed to look at the female athlete specific support from a more comprehensive perspective, intending to piece together the different contributing factors required in a female athlete supportive environment based on the findings of this study. In the theoretical framework topics such as menstrual cycle and the gendered sporting context, menstrual health knowledge, menstrual cycle related communication, menstrual cycle and performance, as well as female athlete specific support were covered. Two mixed-methods surveys were conducted between January and May of 2024, one for female athletes and one for support staff members working with female athletes. In total, 141 female athletes and 44 support staff members answered the surveys, representing 16 different sports globally. The survey responses were analyzed with quantitative and qualitative methods. The survey analysis provided an understanding about the athletes` and support staff`s actual level of menstrual health knowledge, current level of support available to athletes, and a comprehensive view on the barriers to such support. Results of previous research regarding the level of menstrual health knowledge being low, especially regarding hormonal contraceptives, components of Female Athlete Triad, and in the case of athletes, defining amenorrhea, were confirmed. Further, this thesis confirmed previous research regarding the low level of menstrual health related support as only 13% of the athlete respondents reported receiving such support while 32% of the support staff reported menstrual cycle related support being available to the athletes in their sporting environment. This thesis further confirmed previous research as it relates to the current barriers regarding the menstrual cycle related support available to female athletes, namely: low menstrual health knowledge, lack of menstrual cycle related communication as well as menstrual cycle tracking without an impact in daily decisions regarding the athletes training, health and performance. The development proposal of this thesis, based on the combined results of the questions on menstrual health knowledge, current support available to athletes, the barriers to menstrual cycle related support and the thematic analysis, resulted in the creation of the Female Athlete Supportive Environment - FASE - framework consisting of seven categories of support, namely Education - Menstrual health knowledge, Performance considerations, Medical considerations, Communication considerations, Well-being considerations, Equipment considerations, and Research. The FASE framework enables transition from the current gendered sporting context to a sporting context that serves to support athletes regardless of their gender. However, more research is needed to successfully implement this framework and to harness it to benefit both the female athletes and their support staff in their daily sporting context.
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