6% Exercise Performance Labs
Did you know that only 6% of sports medicine and exercise science research in top journals is conducted on exclusively females? Our team of researchers is committed to advancing the knowledge base available for female athletes, their coaches, and practitioners by implementing research designed to understand the impact of exercise on the menstrual cycle.
Help us grow the 6%!
Our Active Studies
Effects of Physical and Psychosocial Stress on Functional Hypothalamic Amenorrhea in Exercising Women (FHA study)
  • Funding provided by the UCCS Committee on Research and Creative Works (CRCW)
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Timing of Energy Availability on Menstrual Cycle Function (FAST study)
  • Funding provided by the Boettcher Foundation's Webb-Waring Biomedical Research Program
Agreement between Lactate Threshold in Trained and World Class Runners
  • contact via email for additional information
Areas of Research

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Effects of Menstrual Cycle Hormones on Exercise Performance
Understanding how fluctuations in estradiol and progesterone impact physiological responses to endurance exercise.

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Effects of Exercise on Menstrual Cycle Health
Understanding how factors of exercise training programs such as increases in volume or intensity influence menstrual cycle function and the risk of anovulation, luteal phase defects, or amenorrhea.

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Effects of Lifestyle Behaviors of Active Women on Menstrual Cycle Health
Understanding how certain behaviors and lifestyle factors such as increased perceived stress and periods of decreased energy availability influence menstrual cycle function and the risk of anovulation, luteal phase defects, or amenorrhea.

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Optimizing Training Programs for Female Athletes
Understanding how female athletes may respond differentially to increases in training intensity, volume, and frequency.
Our research team specializes in addressing the unique physiological challenges premenopausal female athletes face throughout their careers, from adolescence through adulthood, with particular emphasis on hormonal influences, behavioral factors, and nutritional requirements.
Our Team
Marissa Baranauskas, PhD
Marissa is the primary investigator at 6% Performance Labs. She is an Assistant Professor in the Human Physiology and Nutrition Department at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS). Marissa completed her PhD in Human Performance at Indiana University in Dr. Robert Chapman's lab studying the effects of high altitude on endurance performance and her postdoctoral fellowship with Dr. Stephen Carter at Indiana University, studying exercise and nutrition interventions to address disparities in the cardiovascular health of postmenopausal women.
As a former - and frequently injured -Division I cross country and track athlete, the main purpose of her research is to improve the knowledge base available for coaches, practitioners, and athletes working with female athletes. She is an avid mountain and trail runner and lives in Colorado Springs with her husband and two cats Nook-Nook and Cheyenne.
Katie Rainsberger
Katie is a graduate student in the Applied Physiology MSc program. Her thesis is evaluating agreement between a laboratory and field based test of anaerobic threshold speed in trained and World Class runners. She will be attending the Technical University of Munich (TUM) to complete her PhD in Exercise Nutrition and Health in Fall 2025.
Diana Mercier
Diana is a graduate student in the Applied Physiology MSc program. Her thesis is investigating the effects of fasted exercise with controlled energy availability on menstrual cycle function.
Alex Herman
Alex is a graduate student in the Computer Science MSc program.
Alumni
  • Rachel Dowd, MSc - doctoral student at University of Northern Colorado 2025, thesis: The Influence of Menstrual Cycle Phase on Airway Function and Respiratory Muscle Oxygen Consumption
Undergraduate & Graduate Research Assistants
  • Andrea Rodriguez-Soto
  • Dylan Davis
  • Dee Santiago
  • Maggie Jenkins
  • Amelia McManus
Additional Resources
Research Insights
Access our lab group's comprehensive list of peer-reviewed publications and conference abstracts at Research Gate.
Recent Research
Menstrual Cycle Tracking App
FITR Woman is a free menstrual cycle tracking app designed by Dr. Georgie Bruinvels, a research scientist at Orecco - a world leader in sports performance and recovery. Educational resources on the app are backed by peer-reviewed research and help provide insight on the unique symptoms, exercise, and nutritional needs in each phase of the menstrual cycle for female athletes.
Social Media
Follow us on Social Media to receive weekly updates on current research relevant to female athletes.

Stay posted!
Colorado marathoner and UESCA certified run coach Char Griess Instagram (@charathoner)
Contact Us
email: mbaranau@uccs.edu
tel: +1-719-255-4475
Research and Industry Collaboration Inquiries
Please reach out to us via email to discuss potential opportunities for collaboration.
Located at the Hybl Sports Medicine and Performance Center 4925 N Nevada Ave, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80918.