Table 2.

Menstrual Cycle characteristics

Menstrual cycle (MC) characteristics
		Athletes (n)	Athletes (%)			Athletes (n)	Athletes (%)
Age at menarche	<11	15	7.65	HC use	AthleteNC	82	42.05
	12–13	84	42.86		AthleteHC	113	57.95
	14–15	55	28.06
	≥16	41	20.92
MC characteristics by HC use
		AthleteNC (82)	AthleteNC (%)	AthleteHC (113)	AthleteHC (%)	All	% All
No of periods	<4	11	13.41	25	22.12	36	18.37
in the last year	4–6	11	13.41	28	24.78	39	19.90
	7–9	11	13.41	18	15.93	29	14.80
	10–12	40	48.78	34	30.09	74	37.76
	>12	9	10.98	8	7.08	17	8.67
MC length (days)	25–35	54	65.85	68	60.18	122	62.24
	<25 days	6	7.32	10	8.85	16	8.16
	>35 days	6	7.32	4	3.54	10	5.10
	Irregular	13	15.85	23	20.35	36	18.37
	N/A	3	3.66	8	7.08	11	5.61
Period duration	4–7 days	54	65.85	58	51.33	112	57.14
	<4 days	17	20.73	32	28.32	49	25.00
	>7 days	3	3.66	3	2.65	6	3.06
	Irregular	4	4.88	14	12.39	18	9.18
	N/A	4	4.88	6	5.31	10	5.10
Period flow	Light	16	19.51	34	30.09	50	25.51
	Moderate	41	50.00	52	46.02	93	47.45
	Heavy	15	18.29	7	6.19	22	11.22
	Irregular	3	3.66	6	5.31	21	10.71
	N/A	7	8.54	14	12.39	9	4.59
MC symptoms	Nil	6	7.32	7	6.19	13	6.67
	1–3	10	12.20	23	20.35	33	16.92
	>3	66	80.49	83	73.45	149	76.41
Use of analgesia	Yes	40	48.78	50	44.25	90	46.15
	No	42	51.22	63	55.75	105	53.85

HC, hormonal contraceptive; N/A, not applicable; NC, naturally cycling.