WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY SPORTS TO SHINE A LIGHT ON PERIOD IMPACT IN SPORT WITH PANEL DISCUSSION

Warner Bros. Discovery Sports will air a special 40-minute panel discussion dedicated to shining a light on the lack of awareness and research into how periods can affect the mental and physical performance of female athletes. The show will air on Sunday 28 May in line with Menstrual Hygiene Day. 

Hosted by Orla Chennaoui, the period panel features world-class athletes including 2023 European Indoor Long Jump Champion Jazmin Sawyers and Lioness legend and Arsenal W.F.C. striker Jodie Taylor who bring their own experiences to the conversation. Joining them is women’s health and performance expert Dr Emma Ross – co-author of Sunday Times bestseller The Female Body Bible who will provide her expert insights into the topic. According to a detailed study conducted by the Women in Sport charity titled ‘Reframing sport for teenage girls: Tackling teenage disengagement’, seven in ten girls avoid being active on their period, regardless of how sporty they are, due to feeling self-conscious.

Together, the panel will discuss the latest headlines, progression and issues around periods in sport to help break down taboos surrounding menstruation, to better inform sports fans on the topic and to highlight the link between periods and injuries including anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in athletes.

Orla Chennaoui, Eurosport presenter, said: “I've been super excited about this conversation and it’s one we should all be having a lot more. I can only hope it starts a few more and we have a ripple effect.”

Dr Emma Ross said: “Sport is all about being judged, your performance and your selection. One of the things we have to get through is this fear that if I start talking about how I feel on my cycle, that I'm debilitated by pain, that that's going to be used against me. That's not where we need to get to, we need to get to a place of support in sport.”

Jodie Taylor, Lionesses and Arsenal striker, said: “My period over the years has really affected me without really knowing. It wasn't until gaining more knowledge and understanding of periods and different cycles, did I realise how much it was impacting me. There’s been attention on it from an injury perspective but less from a performance standpoint and how ultimately we can keep performing through our menstrual cycles.”

Jazmin Sawyers, 2023 European Long Jump Champion, said: “Unless there's an awareness at a lower level, people aren't taking that much notice. I think if you're a parent, if you're a coach, you need to be having these conversations with your kids, with your athletes, so that we can start our understanding from a young age.”

The special show will be available to watch for free on Eurosport.com and Eurosport’s YouTube channel from 09:00 BST on Sunday 28 May with selected clips shared across its social media channels. It will also be available to stream for all discovery+ subscribers.