On Monday 8 June 2026, SUPERLab was represented at the Women’s Sport and Wellbeing Interdisciplinary Research Theme (IDRT) Summit, a free, one-day conference hosted at Northumbria University focused on tackling inequalities and inequities in women’s sport, health, and wellbeing. Jade Samping and YIN-JU “Megan” Chen both presented research examining how the menstrual cycle influences running biomechanics.
Influence of Menstrual Cycle Phase on Local Dynamic Stability of Pelvic Motion During Running
Jade presented this work, co-authored with YIN-JU Chen, Encarna MicĆ³-Amigo, Jon Wheat and Marcus Dunn. The study examined how pelvic control during running changes across the menstrual cycle in healthy female athletes, using motion capture to track subtle stride-to-stride adjustments in pelvic movement.
The findings will help researchers better interpret movement-variability data collected from athletes recovering from anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, supporting SUPERLab’s wider work on nonlinear movement analysis in rehabilitation and return-to-sport readiness.
Understanding Menstrual Cycle Influences on Treadmill Running: A Goal Equivalent Manifold Approach
Megan presented this pilot study, co-authored with Jade Samping, Jon Wheat, Encarna MicĆ³-Amigo and Marcus Dunn. The work explored how neuromuscular control of stride-to-stride variability during running changes across the menstrual cycle, using a Goal Equivalent Manifold approach to quantify how runners adapt their movement patterns to different task demands.
Preliminary findings offer early insight into how hormonal fluctuations across the cycle may influence neuromuscular control during running, contributing to SUPERLab’s broader interest in movement variability in sport and exercise science.
About the Women’s Sport & Wellbeing IDRT Summit
The Women’s Sport and Wellbeing Interdisciplinary Research Theme (IDRT) Summit took place on Monday 8 June 2026 at Northumbria University. The free, one-day conference focused on tackling inequalities and inequities in women’s sport, health, and wellbeing.
Through talks, presentations, and discussion, the summit brought together researchers and practitioners working to address these challenges and advance women’s sport, health, and wellbeing research and practice.