The influence of menstrual cycle phases and their hormonal profiles on qualitative and contractile properties of skeletal muscles.

The influence of menstrual cycle phases and their hormonal profiles on qualitative and contractile properties of skeletal muscles. - MZCB

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Observational

Source

DRKS

Registry ID

DRKS00032152

Enrollment

Registered

2023-07-03

Start date

2023-09-01

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2026-06-01

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Influence of the menstrual cycle on performance

Interventions

Group 1: - athletically active women between 18 and 35 years - regular menstruation with cycle between 21 and 35 days - not taking hormonal contraceptives - no irregularities such as oligomenorrhea,

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

Female

Age

18 Years to 35 Years

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: female, between 18 and 35 years - Taking hormonal oral contraceptives ("birth control pills") - Female, between 18 and 35 years - Naturally menstruating women with regular menstrual cycle between 21 and 35 days - Not taking hormonal contraceptives

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: - In EG: irregularity of the menstrual cycle such as oligomenorrhea, amenorrhea, polymenorrhea. - Acute injuries of the lower extremities - Body fat percentage > 30%

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
To be able to describe changes in performance-determining parameters under the influence of hormonal fluctuations, the project aims to carry out a structural and functional diagnosis of the musculature over several menstrual cycles and to relate these to the hormone concentrations of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. By means of several measurement points distributed over the cycle, a close-meshed examination of the muscular characteristics is to be carried out in order also to be able to record and represent short-term changes. In the present project, the m. rectus femoris is to be examined, since it has already been shown that the stiffness of the muscle varies over the cycle. Accordingly, it can be assumed that the female hormone profile and its fluctuations during a cycle influence the qualitative and functional properties of muscles and their tendency to fatigue.	—

Measure

Time frame

To be able to describe changes in performance-determining parameters under the influence of hormonal fluctuations, the project aims to carry out a structural and functional diagnosis of the musculature over several menstrual cycles and to relate these to the hormone concentrations of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. By means of several measurement points distributed over the cycle, a close-meshed examination of the muscular characteristics is to be carried out in order also to be able to record and represent short-term changes. In the present project, the m. rectus femoris is to be examined, since it has already been shown that the stiffness of the muscle varies over the cycle. Accordingly, it can be assumed that the female hormone profile and its fluctuations during a cycle influence the qualitative and functional properties of muscles and their tendency to fatigue.

—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
The second objective is to test the above parameters in a female population taking hormonal contraceptives with a different hormonal profile than naturally menstruating women.	—

Countries

Germany

Contacts

Public ContactChristine Bernstein

Goethe Universität Frankfurt, Institut für Sportwissenschaften

bernstein@sport.uni-frankfurt.de+406979824585

Outcome results

None listed

Source: DRKS (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Jun 11, 2026