Variation of 80 milliseconds ‘a big difference’ at elite level, while they also make fewer mistakes Variation of 80 milliseconds ‘a big difference’ at elite level, while they also make fewer mistakes Female athletes have reaction times 80 milliseconds faster and make fewer mistakes on the day they ovulate, according to research . Researchers at University College London (UCL) studied how different stages of the menstrual cycle and levels of activity affected women’s brain function. They tracked