The menstrual cycle, dual-hormone hypothesis, and competition: implications for athletic performance
Graduation Date
Spring 2025
Document Type
Thesis
Program
Master of Arts degree with a major in Psychology, option Academic Research
Committee Chair Name
Amanda Hahn
Committee Chair Affiliation
Cal Poly Humboldt Faculty or Staff
Second Committee Member Name
Amber Gaffney
Second Committee Member Affiliation
Cal Poly Humboldt Faculty or Staff
Third Committee Member Name
Sarah Landis
Third Committee Member Affiliation
Cal Poly Humboldt Faculty or Staff
Keywords
Menstrual cycle, Women's sports, Competition, Dual-hormone hypothesis, Testosterone, Cortisol, Athletic competition, Athletic performance, Stress, Status-seeking, Women's hormones
Subject Categories
Psychology
Abstract
Female athletes perceive that the fluctuating hormones of the menstrual cycle affect their performance. However, research on objective performance is inconclusive, partly due to a lack of studies conducted in real-world competitive contexts. Testosterone is often seen to be elevated near ovulation and is related to social competitiveness. Under the dual-hormone hypothesis, testosterone only predicts competitive behavior when cortisol is low. The current study had two goals: (1) to test whether the dual-hormone hypothesis applied to competitive drive and objective athletic performance, and (2) to examine whether competitiveness and the intensity of one’s response to competition varied across the menstrual cycle. Over four testing sessions, female athletes (N = 12) completed 2 x 200m sprints–one solo and one with competitors. Consistent with the dual-hormone hypothesis, salivary cortisol and testosterone interacted significantly to predict within-subjects competitive drive (p = .031). However, this pattern did not extend to competitive sprint times, where only cortisol levels were weakly associated with slower performance (p = .049). Neither competitive drive nor reactivity to competition varied across the menstrual cycle. These results suggest the dual-hormone hypothesis applies to within-subject changes in competitive drive in females, but do not support the extension of this relationship to objective athletic performance.
Citation Style
APA
Recommended Citation
Burns, Camille, "The menstrual cycle, dual-hormone hypothesis, and competition: implications for athletic performance" (2025). Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects. 2312.
https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/etd/2312