Athletic Performance, Exercise, Menstrual Cycle, Women's Health
Conditions
Keywords
Menstrual Cycle, Exercise, Women's Health, Athletic Performance
Brief summary
The menstrual cycle implies a basic difference in the biology of women and men but the effect of the hormonal variation on training protocols and physical performance is still not fully understood. Despite no existing evidence, the advice to periodize exercise according to the menstrual cycle has been widely spread among elite athletes, coaches, and sports federations. The advice is based on underpowered studies with considerable methodological weaknesses regarding determination of cycle phase, inclusion of athletes and lack of adequate control groups. The purpose of this randomized, controlled study is to evaluate the effect of exercise periodization on aerobic fitness during different phases of the menstrual cycle. Further, the effect will be related to premenstrual symptoms, body composition and skeletal muscle morphology, sex hormone receptors, metabolic enzymes, and markers of muscle protein synthesis. This study will be well controlled and follow methodology recommendations for menstrual cycle research in sports and exercise. Female athletes of fertile age will be randomized to different training regimens during three menstrual cycles (12 weeks): Group A: Training three times a week throughout the menstrual cycle. Group B: Follicular phase-based training five times a week during the follicular phase and thereafter once a week during the luteal phase. Group C: Luteal phase-based training five times a week during the luteal phase and once a week in the follicular phase. The exercise will consist of high intensity intermittent spinning classes. Assessment of aerobic fitness and power will be performed at baseline, and again after three completed menstrual cycles. On the same day, body composition will be examined by DXA and blood samples will be collected for analysis of hormones and binding proteins. To confirm menstrual cycle phase, blood samples will be collected for hormone determination, and urinary stick will be used for detection of ovulation. Subjective ratings of menstrual cycle related symptoms will be performed every day. In a subgroup of women, muscle biopsies will be collected from m vastus lateralis at baseline and at the end of the study. This study will contribute to improved knowledge about exercise periodization in relation to the menstrual cycle. Well-grounded data is crucial to give evidence-based recommendations to female athletes when planning their training protocol to optimize training results and performance.
Interventions
OTHERPeriodization of training
Participants in the three arms will exercise the same dose and number of sessions distributed in three different ways.
Sponsors
Karolinska Institutet
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Masking description
The testleader will be blinded to which group the subject belongs to.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
18 Years to 35 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Women exercising at least 3-4 times a week on a high level * Regular menstrual cycle with 26-32 cycle days. * Fully healthy and be able to follow the training program.
Exclusion criteria
* Hormonal contraceptive users, * Users of regular medication * Chronic disease * Past or present neurological disorder * Recent musculoskeletal injury
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in aerobic performance | Change from baseline aerobic performance at the end of Cycle 4 (each cycle is around 28 days) | Cosmeds K5 Wearable Metabolic System will be used for breath-by-breath gas exchange measurements. Change in VO2peak from baseline to end of study will be evaluated. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Premenstrual symptoms | Every day during the study period | Prospective ratings of premenstrual symptoms will be performed with the Cyclicity Diagnoser |
| Change in metabolic serum markers | Change from baseline metabolic serum markers at the end of Cycle 4 (each cycle is around 28 days) | Blood samples for analysis of IGF-1. |
| Change in mucle morphology | Change from baseline muscle morphology at the end of Cycle 4 (each cycle is around 28 days) | Muscle biopsy in mm vastus lateralis |
| Change in muscle tissue steroid hormones | Change from baseline muscle tissue steroid hormones at the end of Cycle 4 (each cycle is around 28 days) | Muscle biopsy in mm vastus lateralis |
| Change in muscle protein synthesis | Change from baseline muscle protein synthesis at the end of Cycle 4 (each cycle is around 28 days) | Muscle biopsy in mm vastus lateralis |
| Dysmenorrhea | Through study completion, an average of 4 month | Questionnaire |
| Change in one-leg hop test for distance | Change from baseline test at the end of Cycle 4 (each cycle is around 28 days) | Assessment of functional muscle strength in the lower extremities. |
| Change in muscle strength | Change from baseline muscle strength at the end of Cycle 4 (each cycle is around 28 days) | A standardized isokinetic device (Biodex®, Corp, Shirley, NY, USA) will be used for measurements of maximal muscle torque (Nm) in the leg extensor muscles at 90 and 120 gr/sec (11). Change in muscle strength from baseline to end of study will be compared between groups. |
| Change in body composition | Change from baseline body composition at the end of Cycle 4 (each cycle is around 28 days) | Differences in body fat (%) will be determined by DXA (Lunar equipment). |
| Change in one-leg sit-to-stand test | Change from baseline test at the end of Cycle 4 (each cycle is around 28 days) | Assessment of functional muscle strength in the lower extremities. |
Countries
Sweden
Contacts
CONTACTAngelica L Hirschberg, Med dr
CONTACTCecilia Fridén, Med dr
Outcome results
None listed