Laura Kenny addresses 'taboo' topic in elite cycling: 'It's always been about getting a man to go faster'
Women's Cycling
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Follow us on GoogleDame Laura Kenny, Britain’s most decorated female Olympian, took to social media to speak out about a "taboo" topic she wished got more attention. In an interview with PhD Nutrition, Kenny revealed that during her time as a professional cyclist there was no information available on menstrual cycles.
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TW: This article contains brief mention of pregnancy loss.
Not the first time Kenny has spoken about women's health
The five time Olympic champion has been vocal in the past about pregnancy loss, having experienced both a miscarriage and an ectopic pregnancy first hand, with husband Jason. Earlier this year, Kenny ran the London marathon in aid of The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust.
More recently, the 34-year-old mum-of-three spoke out to address negative comments about her breastfeeding journey.
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Speaking on the Lorraine show, she called out the reaction she had received after a photo of her feeding her daughter after the London Marathon. "I don't feel uncomfortable, I'm feeding my baby," she said.
Read more below the photo!
Kenny is vocal about a range of women's issues on her social media
Kenny said she was in 'male dominant world'
Kenny, who has been voted UK Sportswoman of the 21st Century, said that as a professional cyclist she "lived in a world where it was obviously really heavily male dominant for a really long time."
During her time as an athlete, Kenny said research was "always about how you're going to get a man to go faster on a bike." She said it has only been in recent years that women's hormonal cycles have become part of the conversation.
It's that conversation that Kenny is desperate to see become more normal in elite cycling, and in society.
Read more below the photo!
Kenny was voted UK Sportswoman of the Century
"It drives me mad that people still cringe when you actually say the word period", the 14-time European champion said.
More elite female cyclists speaking out
Recently, more and more elite athletes, cyclists among them, have spoken out about suffering with RED-S [relative energy deficiency in sports].
It is possible for people of every gender to suffer from RED-S, but a key symptom affecting female athletes can be the loss of a regular menstrual cycle.
RED-S is caused by chronic low energy availability, where energy expended is greater than energy consumed over a long period of time.
Eventually, this compromises daily bodily functions, such as hormonal regulation, and bone density.
Dygert and Ferguson among those affected
Chloe Dygert spoke about being affected by RED-S, and losing her period for over 8 months. The American took to Instagram to discuss the effect the condition had on her daily life.
Cat Ferguson also spoke about her experience with RED-S, in a column for CyclingNews. The 20-year-old from Yorkshire said that the experience "felt like a constant battle of trying to understand my body and failing".
Change still needed, says Kenny
Kenny ended her interview with PhD Nutrition by saying she was thinking about the world her daughter, who she shares with husband and fellow former cyclist Jason Kenny, would grow up in.
"I want her to grow up in a world where she can speak openly about her hormones, about her cycle, and about her period," she said.
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Clarice WebsterEditor
Clarice has been following cycling her whole life, wroting about Thibaut Pinot (among others) for her university magazine while earning her masters in Journalism. She is passionate about furthering equality in sports coverage, and has taken huge inspiration from pillars of women’s cycling like Beryl Burton, Marianne Vos, and Laura Kenny.
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Latest Comments
- - Grande articolo. Evenepoel e Ciccone al limite totale — respeto. Pero por favor, UEC, mostra la foto esatta della linea per evitare polemiche.jeremya06-10-2026
- - Not totally convinced by the “no further statements” line from UEC. If they used dual systems, where’s the corroborating second image? Publish both or it feels a bit opaque, ragazzi.julien06-10-2026
- - Quick one: why do the wheels look “bent” in the photo finish? Is that just the time axis thing you mentioned?lindae06-10-2026
- - Remco by a whisker is believable, but Cicco’s request is fair. In track and road we always go by the leading edge of the front tyre at the line—show the exact pixel row of the stripe and we’re done. Good piece.samanthak06-10-2026
- - Blimey, what a nail-biter. If the margin’s0028s and they’ve got EtherLynx running at 13,000 fps, just release the raw line-scan image and close the debate. Transparency costs nothing.cadencekingm06-10-2026
- - Wait, what does “qualified in age group 35–39” mean—does that race separately from the elites at Worlds, or is it all together? And do you need a UCI license for that? Gracias por la info, cheers.andrewf05-10-2026
- - While others are relaxing on their boats… he’s grinding gravel. Legend. Go VB77!michael5405-10-2026
- - That 56 km first leg looks like a shakeout ride. Does he plan to split it over 3–4 days? Heat/humidity in SEA is brutal—electrolytes will be key.sprocketspiny05-10-2026
- - “Undertakeke” made me laugh but edit pls. Also, is the course in Nannup more climby or flat farm roads? Would’ve suited Valtteri’s diesel engine, I reckon.julien05-10-2026
- - Tiffany Cromwell shoutout is deserved. They recon together and you can see her influence in his pacing and position on dirt. Great duo.pedalpowe2905-10-2026
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