An increasing number of sport and exercise-science studies include female athletes, which strengthens our evidence base for translating knowledge into applied practice. Between 2019 and 2022 the proportion of IJSPP original investigations and brief reports including women increased from 19% to 28%, and studies that were performed exclusively on female athletes, from 4% to 12%. This collective research response is aligned with various calls to action from researchers in sport and exercise science, applied practitioners, and athletes to enhance our understanding of how best to support girls and women in sport. Much of the recent research with female athletes has concentrated on the physiological and symptomatic experiences associated with the menstrual cycle (MC) and use of hormonal contraceptives (HCs). Within MC-related research specifically, there has been a dominant focus on eumenorrheic cycles, due to methodological quality and control being of primary concern. However, female athletes often present with menstrual disturbances or dysfunctions, and existing data highlight a large degree of interindividual and intraindividual variability in hormonal profiles and athlete experiences. This, in addition to frequent HC use in female athletes, highlights the need for sport-science researchers to acknowledge and account for the unique characteristics that define female athlete cohorts when making methodological decisions.
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