The big team maps the period: "It should not be hush-hush"

Ahead of the World Cup last summer, the United States charted all of the player's men's cycles. The team's five coaches felt that adapting to the menses affected the performance of the team that then won the entire championship.

Now the major club Chelsea has tailored its training program around the players' mens cycles. The hope of the club is to improve performance and reduce injuries.

- Ever since I came to Chelsea we have always had a discussion about the period and you have always entered in an app when you have your period. It's something they wanted to have a say in, says Sweden's team captain Magdalena Eriksson, who plays in the club, to SVT Sport.

In one app, players map their menstrual cycle over four phases - menstruation, before ovulation, between ovulation and pms, and before menstruation. Exercise and diet are adjusted according to the phase the player is in.

- We have started with a little individual stretch for the back, slightly different types of recovery depending on what phase you are in, says Jonna Andersson, also her Chelsea player.

- This year we are talking about changing the diet according to the phase you are in, and we also get some supplements depending on which phase you are in. It feels like we have taken it to the next level now, says Magdalena Eriksson.

It takes time before the initiative can be evaluated, and research is underway to identify how training, injuries and menstruation are linked. Meanwhile, Jonna Andersson and Magdalena Eriksson continue to discover how they are affected by the period.

- You really want to go in wholeheartedly to see what works in the future, but it probably takes their time to get a holistic picture to see how to control everything. Then it is also individual to see how much you are affected, says Jonna Andersson.

It remains to be seen if damall Swedish clubs will follow in Chelsea's footsteps.

- I know that it affects a lot. If it is true that research shows that you get better strength results or higher quality of training, then it is clear that it is good, says Linköping's Nilla Fischer.

On the other hand, she thinks it will be a while before we see a similar investment in the damall Swede.

- In Linköping there are no financial conditions, because I suppose there is some system that you have to buy. So unfortunately I think that is an impossibility at the moment.