Female hormones play an important part in sleep, digestion, metabolism, injury prevention, growth, mental well-being and recovery. If your cycle is not regular, chances are, some of these factors are out of line too. Taking care of your general health is the first step in becoming a successful athlete and, as women, we can use our menstrual cycle as an indicator of our overall health. Read on to understand how and why a healthy menstrual cycle is so important for female athletes