Analysis of strength and power performance during the three phases of the menstrual cycle
Abstract
Women are increasingly engaged in sports training and, for this reason, some gaps need to be filled for adequate planning, thus respecting their individuality. A variable to be analyzed is the menstrual cycle, which may influence the performance of these women, due to the hormonal changes that occur in each phase (follicular, ovulatory, luteal). The following study sought to assess the possible effects of different phases of the menstrual cycle on muscle strength and power. Nine women participated in this research, all familiarized with resistance training, with a mean age of 24.44 ± 6.56 (years), mean body mass 60.72 ± 6.14 (kg) who were not using oral or injectable, in addition to having a regular menstrual cycle. All were submitted to anamnesis, anthropometric evaluation, maximum repetition test (1RM), maximum isometric voluntary contraction test (MVIC) and muscle power analysis, with collections performed according to the phases of the menstrual cycle. Descriptive statistical analysis was used, in addition to the One Way anova test with Tuckey's post hock for parametric distribution and t test for paired samples. The results of the present study indicated that there were significant differences in muscle power during the ovulatory phase, when compared to the follicular and luteal phases, without any significant changes in muscle strength. It is concluded that hormonal changes resulting from the menstrual cycle can cause changes in neuromuscular performance and this should be taken into account when prescribing training.
References
-Carmichael, M.A.; Thomson, R.L.; Moran, L.J.; Wycherley, T. P. The Impact of Menstrual Cycle Phase on Athletes’ Performance: A Narrative Review. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health. Vol. 18. Num. 4. 2021. p. 01-22.
-Cormie, P.; McGuigan, M. R.; Newton, R. U. Developing maximal neuromuscular power: Part 1- biological basis of maximal power production. Sports Med. Vol. 41. Num. 1. 2011. p.17-38.
-Costa, P. L.; Santos, F. P.; Rocha, C. C. D.; Silva, S. F. Study on the Electromyographic Activation of Lower Limbs during the Menstrual Cycle Phases. Journal of Exercise Physiologyonline. Vol. 15. Num. 2. 2013. p. 52-57.
-Dasa, M. S.; Kristoffersen, M.; Ersvær, E.; Bovim, L. P.; Bjørkhaug L.; Moe-Nilssen, R.; Sagen, J. V.; Haukenes I. The Female Menstrual Cycles Effect on Strength and Power Parameters in High-Level Female Team Athletes. Frontiers in Physiology. Vol. 12. Num. 600668. 2021. p. 01-09.
-Davis, C.H.; Hackney, A. C.; The Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Ovarian Axis and Oral Contraceptives: regulation and function. In: Hackney, A.C., Sex Hormones, Exercise And Women. Springer International Publishing. 2017. p. 315.
-Dias, R. M. R.; Cyrino, E. S.; Salvador, E. P.; Caldeira, L. F. S.; Nakamura, F. Y.; Papst, R. R.; Bruna, N.; Gurjão, A. L. D. Influência do processo de familiarização para avaliação da força muscular em testes de 1-RM. Revista Brasileira de Medicina do Esporte. Vol. 11. Num. 1. 2005. p. 34-38.
-Gordon, D.; Hunghes, F.; Young, K.; Scruton, A.; Keiller, D.; Caddy, O.; Baker, J.; Barnes, R. The effects of menstrual cycle phase on the development of peak torque under isokinetic conditions. Isokinetics And Exercise Science. Vol. 21. Num. 4. 2013. p. 285-291.
-Köse, B. Analysis of the Effect of Menstrual Cycle Phases on Aerobic-Anaerobic Capacity and Muscle Strength. Journal of Education And Training Studies. Vol. 6. Num. 8. 2018. p. 23.
-Lima, L. O.; Rodrigues-de-Paula, F. Treinamento da potência muscular: uma nova perspectiva na abordagem fisioterápica da doença de Parkinson. Brazilian Journal of Physical Therapy. Vol. 16. Num. 2. 2012. p. 173-174.
-Loureiro, S.; Dias, I.; Sales, D.; Alessi, I.; Simão, R.; Fermino, R. C.; Efeito das Diferentes Fases do Ciclo Menstrual no Desempenho da Força Muscular em 10rm. Rev Bras Med Esporte. Vol. 17. Num. 1. 2011. p. 22-25.
-Montgomery, M. M.; Shultz, S. J. Isometric Knee-Extension and Knee-Flexion Torque Production During Early Follicular and Postovulatory Phases in Recreationally Active Women. Journal of Athletic Training. Vol. 45, Num. 6. 2010. p. 586-593.
-Oosthuyse, T.; Bosch, A. N. The Effect of the Menstrual Cycle on Exercise Metabolism: Implications for Exercise Performance in Eumenorrhoeic Women. Sports Medicine. Vol. 40. Num. 3. 2010. p. 207–227.
-Romero-Parra, N.; Cupeiro, R.; Alfaro-Magallanes, V. M.; Rael, B.; Rubio-Arias, J. A.; Peinado, A. B.; Benito, P. J. Exercise-induced muscle damage during the menstrual cycle: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. Vol. 35. Num. 2. 2021. p. 549-561.
-Rodrigues, P.; Correia, M. A.; Wharton, L. Effect of Menstrual Cycle on Muscle Strength. Journal of Exercise Physiology online. Vol. 22. Num. 5. 2019. p. 01-10.
-Romero-Moraleda, B.; e colaboradores. The Influence of the Menstrual Cycle on Muscle Strength and Power Performance. Journal of Human Kinetics. Vol. 68. Núm. 1. p. 123-133. 21. 2019.
-Rossi, L.; Tirapegui, J. Comparação dos métodos de bioimpedância e equação de Faulkner para avaliação da composição corporal em desportistas. Revista Brasileira de Ciências Farmacêuticas. Vol. 37. Num. 2. 2001. p. 01-07.
-Santos, F. P.; Costa, P. L.; Silva, C C. D. R.; Silva, S. F. Comportamento das variáveis morfológicas e da água corporal durante as fases de um ciclo menstrual. Revista Brasileira de Ciência e Movimento. 2018. p. 05-11.
-Santos, G. O.; Rezende, G. J.; Paraguassú, C. C.; Silva, S. L. Effects of resistant training on body composition: Review. Brazilian Journal Of Development. Vol. 7. Num. 1. 2021.p. 8826-8836.
-Soriano, M. A.; Jiménez-Reyes, P.; Rhea, M. R.; Marín, P. J. The Optimal Load for Maximal Power Production During Lower-Body Resistance Exercises: A Meta-Analysis. Sports Medicine. Vol. 45. Num. 8. 2015. p. 1191-1205.
-Souza, G. C.; Santos, F. P.; Lima, P. C.; Silva, C. C. D. R.; Silva, S. F. Influência do ciclo menstrual na força e na atividade eletromiográfica do músculo quadríceps em mulheres fisicamente ativas. Pensar a Prática. Vol. 18, Num. 1. 2015. p. 01-11.
-Souza, G. C.; Mariano, A. C. S.; Rodrigues, C. C. S.; Osieck, R.; Silva, S. F.; Lima-Silva, A. E.; Oliveira, F. R. Menstrual cycle alters training strain, monotony, and technical training length in young. Journal of Sports Sciences. Vol. 37. Num. 16. 2019. p. 1824-1830.
-Sung, E.; Han, A.; Hinrichs, T.; Vorgerd, M.; Manchado, C.; Platen, P. Effects of follicular versus luteal phase-based strength training in young women. SpringerPlus. Vol. 3. Num. 1. 2014. p. 668.
-Tsampoukos, A.; Peckham, E. A.; James, R.; Nevill, M. E. Effect of menstrual cycle phase on sprinting performance. European Journal of Applied Physiology. Vol. 109. Num. 4. 2010. p. 659-667.
Copyright (c) 2023 Paula Souza Alves dos Santos, João Pedro de Souza Ferreira, Ariane Aparecida Adilson, Poliana de Lima Costa Loures, Cintia Campolina Duarte Rocha da Silva, Sandro Fernandes da Silva
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish in this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain the copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication, with work simultaneously licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License BY-NC which allows the sharing of the work with acknowledgment of the authorship of the work and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are authorized to enter into additional contracts separately for non-exclusive distribution of the version of the work published in this journal (eg, publishing in institutional repository or book chapter), with acknowledgment of authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are allowed and encouraged to post and distribute their work online (eg, in institutional repositories or on their personal page) at any point before or during the editorial process, as this can bring about productive change as well as increase impact and impact. citation of published work (See The Effect of Free Access).
