This systematic review aimed to examine the effects of the menstrual cycle (MC) on linear and multidirectional speed (MDS) performance. PubMed, Medline, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science were searched for studies that investigated the effects of the MC on linear and MDS performance in eumenorrheic or naturally menstruating females. Seven of 956 articles were included. Five studies reported trivial to small nonsignificant differences between MC phases for linear speed completion times, split times, or force-velocity profile metrics. One study reported significantly moderately higher linear sprint average velocities over 10, 20, and 30 m during the late follicular phase. Three studies examined maneuverability, observing trivial to small nonsignificant differences between phases. Study quality was low to very low in 6 studies, with 1 moderate quality study. MC phase seems to have no significant effect on linear speed and maneuverability performance, with differences <3% across phases. The strength of evidence remains limited because of the generally low methodological quality, small sample sizes, and lack of standardized MC phase verification methods. Consequently, practitioners should exercise caution when modifying physical preparation and performance profiling strategies for eumenorrheic and naturally menstruating females, as current evidence does not support phase-based adjustments for linear speed and maneuverability performance.
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