Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/31765
Title: The impact of menstrual-cycle phase on basal and exercise-induced hormones, mood, anxiety and exercise performance in physically active women
Contributor(s): Paludo, Ana C (author); Cook, Christian J  (author)orcid ; Owen, Julian A (author); Woodman, Tim (author); Irwin, Jennifer (author); Crewther, Blair T (author)
Publication Date: 2021-03
DOI: 10.23736/S0022-4707.20.10844-2
Handle Link: https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/31765
Abstract: 

BACKGROUND: The influence of menstrual cycle phase on perceptual responses and exercise performance is still unclear in the literature. Therefore, this study investigated salivary estradiol (sal-E2) and cortisol (sal-C) concentrations, mood, anxiety and exercise (aerobic, anaerobic) performance in physically-active women across two menstrual-cycle phases.
METHODS: Twelve women (mean age 24.9±4.3 years) were assessed in the early follicular (early-FP) and mid luteal (mid-LP) phase of their menstrual cycle. In each phase, participants were tested for both aerobic (i.e. VO2max) and anaerobic (i.e. peak power, average power and Fatigue Index) performance. Basal and exercise-induced changes in sal-E2 and sal-C concentrations, self-appraised mood and anxiety were assessed.
RESULTS: We observed a significant increase in basal (pre-exercise) sal-E2 concentration from early-FP to mid-LP (P≤0.05), coupled with a significant increase in VO2max in early-FP (39.9±7.8 mL/kg/min) versus mid-LP (36.9±7.8 mL/kg/min). Depression also decreased with aerobic exercise, but only in the early-FP. No other significant menstrual-phase differences in exercise performance, emotional state or hormonal change scores were identified.
CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that physically-active women may experience a natural rise in estradiol concentration, as they transition from the early-FP to mid-LP. In the present study, this was accompanied by a small reduction in VO2max. An exercise (aerobic)-related decline in depression also emerged in the early-FP. Most of the exercise performance, emotional state and hormonal measures did not exhibit any menstrual phase-related difference.

Publication Type: Journal Article
Source of Publication: The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 61(3), p. 461-467
Publisher: Edizioni Minerva Medica
Place of Publication: Italy
ISSN: 1827-1928
0022-4707
Fields of Research (FoR) 2020: 320903 Central nervous system
Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2020: 280114 Expanding knowledge in Indigenous studies
280112 Expanding knowledge in the health sciences
200409 Mental health
Peer Reviewed: Yes
HERDC Category Description: C1 Refereed Article in a Scholarly Journal
Appears in Collections:Journal Article
School of Science and Technology

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