During menstruation women archers have slightly less strength and poorer balance
1 study · 10 archers measured
The summary today
There is a single study, on ten Turkish compound archers aged eighteen to thirty, measured on the third day of menstruation and on a day outside it. During menstruation strength drops a little but in every measure: right grip goes from 30.3 to 28.3 kilograms, left from 32.4 to 30.1, back strength from 103.3 to 100.0 and leg strength from 98.0 to 95.4. Static balance gets worse by more: errors on the Flamingo test rise from 1.3 to 3.5. On the same day body temperature is half a degree higher and total testosterone lower, while haemoglobin, thyroid hormones and oestradiol do not change, and heart rate at the shot rises from 101 to 117 beats without reaching significance. The score, measured on the same archers, does not change significantly: 8.79 points per arrow against 9.04. The picture is consistent, but it rests on ten people, with the comparison day outside menstruation not defined, and the journal has questionable editorial standards: the registry reports the study but does not use it to decide the status, which remains not studied.
Also phrased as: "menstrual cycle and strength in women archers"; "menstruation and balance"; "grip strength during the period"; "menstrual phase and physical preparation"; "women archers and the menstrual cycle"
In practice
It is said that during the period the body is weaker and less steady, and a woman archer may be advised to train more lightly or not to schedule physical tests on those days.
Evidence
-
2019
Context Archers Published later
Venue with questionable editorial standards: this result does not count towards the status. 10 compound archers, on the third day of menstruation against a day outside it: right grip 28.27 against 30.34 kg, left 30.08 against 32.36, back strength 100.03 against 103.31, legs 95.42 against 98.00, all with p = 0.005.
Investigation factors that effect shooting performance in the menstrual period of female archery athletes Questionable venue · Sevinc Serin, Yakup Akif Afyon
-
2019
Context Archers Published later
Venue with questionable editorial standards: this result does not count towards the status. In the same study static balance worsens during menstruation: errors on the Flamingo test 3.50 ± 0.5 against 1.30 ± 0.4, z = -2.87, p = 0.004.
Investigation factors that effect shooting performance in the menstrual period of female archery athletes Questionable venue · Sevinc Serin, Yakup Akif Afyon
-
2019
Context Archers Published later
In the same archers, during menstruation: temperature 37.7 ± 0.2 °C against 37.12 ± 0.1 (p = 0.007), total testosterone 0.43 ± 0.05 against 0.49 ± 0.04 (p = 0.005); haemoglobin, white cells, haematocrit, T3, T4, TSH and oestradiol with no differences. Heart rate at the shot 116.54 ± 12.9 against 101.45 ± 12.4 beats (p = 0.093) and score 8.79 ± 0.64 points per arrow against 9.04 ± 0.29 (p = 0.285), neither significant.
Investigation factors that effect shooting performance in the menstrual period of female archery athletes Questionable venue · Sevinc Serin, Yakup Akif Afyon
Status history
- 2019 Not studied The first and only study arrives: ten Turkish compound archers measured on the third day of menstruation and on a day outside it. During menstruation grip, back and leg strength are two or three kilograms lower, and errors on the one-leg balance test rise from 1.3 to 3.5; temperature is higher and testosterone lower, while blood count, thyroid hormones and oestradiol do not move. Ten people, an undefined comparison day and a journal with questionable editorial standards: the registry reports the study but does not use it to decide the status, which remains not studied.
Related
Related articles
Research lines
Cite
Campagna, M. (2026). During menstruation women archers have slightly less strength and poorer balance (Version 2). In Evidence Registry. Retrieved 16 October 2026, from https://matteocampagna.com/en/registry/health/menstruation-strength-balance
@misc{campagna2026_mestruazioniforzaequilibrio,
author = {Campagna, Matteo},
title = {During menstruation women archers have slightly less strength and poorer balance},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {Evidence Registry, matteocampagna.com},
url = {https://matteocampagna.com/en/registry/health/menstruation-strength-balance},
note = {Version 2; accessed 2026-10-16}
}
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