Menstrual cycle and hormonal contraception : associations between hormones, physical performance, and menstrual cycle -related symptoms

Introduction. It has been reported that 42 % of exercising women feel that the menstrual cycle negatively affects their performance (Bruinvels et al. 2016). However, athletes must train and compete in each phase of the cycle and manage the possible symptoms associated to the hormonal fluctuation. The aim of this thesis is to evaluate whether the symptoms related to menstrual cycle and/or hormonal contraceptive cycle are associated with physical performance. Methods. The participants were recreationally active women aged 19-37. There were 13 subjects in hormonal contraceptive -group (HC-group) and 16 subjects with normal menstrual cycles in non-hormonal contraceptive group (NHC-group). The study used a cross-sectional research design. The participants completed four identical measurements during different phases of menstrual cycle (1. menstruation 2. follicular 3. ovulation 4. luteal) or hormonal contraceptive cycle (1. withdrawal bleeding 2. first active phase 3. second active phase 4. inactive phase). The measurements consisted of venous blood sample collections and physical performance tests, which included one repetition maximum (1RM) and maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) of the leg extensor muscles and maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) test by running. Also, the participants filled a menstrual diary throughout the study, in which they reported the symptoms. The statistical significance was set to p