scholarly journals Methodological Approach of the Iron and Muscular Damage: Female Metabolism and Menstrual Cycle during Exercise Project (IronFEMME Study)

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 735
Author(s):  
Ana B. Peinado ◽  
Victor M. Alfaro-Magallanes ◽  
Nuria Romero-Parra ◽  
Laura Barba-Moreno ◽  
Beatriz Rael ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Menstrual Cycle ◽  
Resistance Exercise ◽  
Muscle Damage ◽  
Sex Hormones ◽  
Iron Metabolism ◽  
Female Athletes ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Follicular Phase ◽  
Cycle Phase ◽  
Exercise Protocol

Background: The increase in exercise levels in the last few years among professional and recreational female athletes has led to an increased scientific interest about sports health and performance in the female athlete population. The purpose of the IronFEMME Study described in this protocol article is to determine the influence of different hormonal profiles on iron metabolism in response to endurance exercise, and the main markers of muscle damage in response to resistance exercise; both in eumenorrheic, oral contraceptive (OC) users and postmenopausal well-trained women. Methods: This project is an observational controlled randomized counterbalanced study. One hundered and four (104) active and healthy women were selected to participate in the IronFEMME Study, 57 of which were eumenorrheic, 31 OC users and 16 postmenopausal. The project consisted of two sections carried out at the same time: iron metabolism (study I) and muscle damage (study II). For the study I, the exercise protocol consisted of an interval running test (eight bouts of 3 min at 85% of the maximal aerobic speed), whereas the study II protocol was an eccentric-based resistance exercise protocol (10 sets of 10 repetitions of plate-loaded barbell parallel back squats at 60% of their one repetition maximum (1RM) with 2 min of recovery between sets). In both studies, eumenorrheic participants were evaluated at three specific moments of the menstrual cycle: early-follicular phase, late-follicular phase and mid-luteal phase; OC users performed the trial at two moments: withdrawal phase and active pill phase. Lastly, postmenopausal women were only tested once, since their hormonal status does not fluctuate. The three-step method was used to verify the menstrual cycle phase: calendar counting, blood test confirmation, and urine-based ovulation kits. Blood samples were obtained to measure sex hormones, iron metabolism parameters, and muscle damage related markers. Discussion: IronFEMME Study has been designed to increase the knowledge regarding the influence of sex hormones on some aspects of the exercise-related female physiology. Iron metabolism and exercise-induced muscle damage will be studied considering the different reproductive status present throughout well-trained females’ lifespan.

scholarly journals Indirect Markers of Muscle Damage Throughout the Menstrual Cycle

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Nuria Romero-Parra ◽  
Victor Manuel Alfaro-Magallanes ◽  
Beatriz Rael ◽  
Rocío Cupeiro ◽  
Miguel A. Rojo-Tirado ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Menstrual Cycle ◽  
Range Of Motion ◽  
Muscle Damage ◽  
Sex Hormones ◽  
Muscle Soreness ◽  
Perceived Exertion ◽  
Follicular Phase ◽  
Cycle Phase ◽  
Countermovement Jump ◽  
Late Follicular Phase

Context: The indirect markers of muscle damage have been previously studied in females. However, inconclusive results have been found, possibly explained by the heterogeneity regarding monitoring and verification of menstrual-cycle phase. Purpose: To determine whether the fluctuations in sex hormones during the menstrual cycle influence muscle damage. Methods: A total of 19 well-trained eumenorrheic women (age 28.6 [5.9] y; height 163.4 [6.1] cm; weight 59.6 [5.8] kg body mass) performed an eccentric-based resistance protocol consisting of 10 × 10 back squats at 60% of their 1-repetition maximum on the early follicular phase (EFP), late follicular phase, and midluteal phase of the menstrual cycle. Range of motion, muscle soreness, countermovement jump, and limb circumferences were evaluated prior to 24 and 48 hours postexercise. Perceived exertion was evaluated after each set. Results: Differences in sex hormones indicated that tests were adequately performed in the different menstrual-cycle phases. Prior to exercise, muscle soreness was higher in the EFP (4.7 [7.7]) than in the late follicular phase (1.1 [3.2]; P = .045). No other variables showed significant differences between phases. Time-point differences (baseline, 24, and 48 h) were observed in knee range of motion (P = .02), muscle soreness, countermovement jump, and between sets for perceived exertion (P < .001). Conclusion: Although the protocol elicited muscle damage, hormonal fluctuations over the menstrual cycle did not seem to affect indirect markers of muscle damage, except for perceived muscle soreness. Muscle soreness was perceived to be more severe before exercise performed in EFP, when estrogen concentrations are relatively low. This may impair women’s predisposition to perform strenuous exercise during EFP.

scholarly journals Influence of the Menstrual Cycle on Blood Markers of Muscle Damage and Inflammation Following Eccentric Exercise

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 1618
Author(s):  
Nuria Romero-Parra ◽  
Laura Barba-Moreno ◽  
Beatriz Rael ◽  
Víctor M. Alfaro-Magallanes ◽  
Rocío Cupeiro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Menstrual Cycle ◽  
Muscle Damage ◽  
Sex Hormones ◽  
Eccentric Exercise ◽  
Interleukin 6 ◽  
Luteal Phase ◽  
Follicular Phase ◽  
Cycle Phase ◽  
Post Trial ◽  
Factor Α

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the menstrual cycle and its underlying hormonal fluctuations affect muscle damage and inflammation in well-trained females following an eccentric exercise. Nineteen eumenorrheic women performed an eccentric squat-based exercise in the early follicular phase, late follicular phase and mid-luteal phase of their menstrual cycle. Sex hormones and blood markers of muscle damage and inflammation –creatine kinase, myoglobin, lactate dehydrogenase, interleukin-6, tumoral necrosis factor-α, and C reactive protein– were analyzed in each phase. No effect of menstrual cycle phase was observed (p > 0.05), while an interaction for interleukin-6 was shown (p = 0.047). Accordingly, a moderate effect size [0.68 (0.53)–0.84 (0.74)], indicated that interleukin-6 values 2 h post-trial (2.07 ± 1.26 pg/mL) were likely to be higher than baseline (1.59 ± 0.33 pg/mL), 24 h (1.50 ± 0.01 pg/mL) and 48 h (1.54 ± 0.13 pg/mL) in the mid-luteal phase. Blood markers of muscle damage and inflammation were not affected by the menstrual cycle in well-trained women. The eccentric exercise barely triggered muscle damage and hence, no inflammation was observed, possibly due to participants training status. The mid-luteal phase was the only phase reflecting a possible inflammatory response in terms of interleukin-6, although further factors than sex hormones seem to be responsible for this finding.

scholarly journals Injury Incidence Across the Menstrual Cycle in International Footballers

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Martin ◽  
Kate Timmins ◽  
Charlotte Cowie ◽  
Jon Alty ◽  
Ritan Mehta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Menstrual Cycle ◽  
Incidence Rate ◽  
Luteal Phase ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
Follicular Phase ◽  
Tendon Injuries ◽  
Cycle Phase ◽  
Injury Incidence ◽  
Rate Ratios ◽  
Late Follicular Phase

Objectives: This study aimed to assess how menstrual cycle phase and extended menstrual cycle length influence the incidence of injuries in international footballers.Methods: Over a 4-year period, injuries from England international footballers at training camps or matches were recorded, alongside self-reported information on menstrual cycle characteristics at the point of injury. Injuries in eumenorrheic players were categorized into early follicular, late follicular, or luteal phase. Frequencies were also compared between injuries recorded during the typical cycle and those that occurred after the cycle would be expected to have finished. Injury incidence rates (per 1,000 person days) and injury incidence rate ratios were calculated for each phase for all injuries and injuries stratified by type.Results: One hundred fifty-six injuries from 113 players were eligible for analysis. Injury incidence rates per 1,000 person-days were 31.9 in the follicular, 46.8 in the late follicular, and 35.4 in the luteal phase, resulting in injury incidence rate ratios of 1.47 (Late follicular:Follicular), 1.11 (Luteal:Follicular), and 0.76 (Luteal:Late follicular). Injury incident rate ratios showed that muscle and tendon injury rates were 88% greater in the late follicular phase compared to the follicular phase, with muscle rupture/tear/strain/cramps and tendon injuries/ruptures occurring over twice as often during the late follicular phase compared to other phases 20% of injuries were reported as occurring when athletes were “overdue” menses.Conclusion: Muscle and tendon injuries occurred almost twice as often in the late follicular phase compared to the early follicular or luteal phase. Injury risk may be elevated in typically eumenorrheic women in the days after their next menstruation was expected to start.

scholarly journals Menstrual Cycle and Surgical Treatment of Breast Cancer: Findings From the NCCTG N9431 Study

2009 ◽  
Vol 27 (22) ◽  
pp. 3620-3626 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clive S. Grant ◽  
James N. Ingle ◽  
Vera J. Suman ◽  
Daniel A. Dumesic ◽  
D. Lawrence Wickerham ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Menstrual Cycle ◽  
Luteal Phase ◽  
Follicular Phase ◽  
Cycle Phase ◽  
Adjuvant Radiation ◽  
Menstrual Phase ◽  
Menstrual Cycle Phase ◽  
Hormone Levels ◽  
Menstrual History

Purpose For nearly two decades, multiple retrospective reports, small prospective studies, and meta-analyses have arrived at conflicting results regarding the value of timing surgical intervention for breast cancer on the basis of menstrual cycle phase. We present the results of a multi–cooperative group, prospective, observational trial of menstrual cycle phase and outcome after breast cancer surgery, led by the North Central Cancer Treatment Group (NCCTG) in collaboration with the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) and the International Breast Cancer Study Group (IBCSG). Patients and Methods Premenopausal women age 18 to 55 years, who were interviewed for menstrual history and who were surgically treated for stages I to II breast cancer, had serum drawn within 1 day of surgery for estradiol, progesterone, and luteinizing hormone levels. Menstrual history and hormone levels were used to determine menstrual phase: luteal, follicular, and other. Disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were determined by Kaplan-Meier method and were compared by using the log-rank test and Cox proportional hazard modeling. Results Of 1,118 women initially enrolled, 834 women comprised the study cohort: 230 (28%) in luteal phase; 363 (44%) in follicular phase; and 241 grouped as other. During a median follow-up of 6.6 years, and in analysis that accounted for nodal disease, estrogen receptor status, adjuvant radiation therapy or chemotherapy, neither DFS nor OS differed with respect to menstrual phase. The 5-year DFS rates were 82.7%, 82.1%, and 79.2% for follicular, luteal, or other phases, respectively. Corresponding OS survival rates were 91.9%, 92.2%, and 91.8%, respectively. Conclusion When menstrual cycle phases were strictly defined, neither DFS nor OS differed between women who underwent surgery during the follicular phase versus the luteal phase. Nearly 30% of the patients did not meet criteria for either follicular- or luteal-phase categories.

P–647 How do migraine attacks change during puberty?

2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
B Boettcher ◽  
A Kyprianou ◽  
L Wildt ◽  
C Lechner ◽  
M Kößler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Menstrual Cycle ◽  
Adolescent Girls ◽  
Tanner Stage ◽  
Follicular Phase ◽  
Adolescent Medicine ◽  
Cycle Phase ◽  
Reliable Technique ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Registration Number ◽  
Daily Headache

Abstract Study question How do the stage of puberty and the menstrual cycle influence characteristics of migraine? Summary answer During puberty, the frequency of migraine attacks increases, especially during the follicular phase. The pattern of migraine changes to a typical adult pattern of migraine. What is known already Up to puberty, headaches are as common in girls as in boys. After the onset of puberty migraine is more prevalent in adolescent girls suggesting an association with sex hormones. Attacks of menstrual migraine are characterized by a longer duration, tend to be more severe, and are less responsive to acute medication compared to migraine attacks which are independent from the menstrual cycle phase. Study design, size, duration For this prospective cohort study 47 girls were recruited from two Departments of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine between 01/2016 and 12/2018. Participants/materials, setting, methods Girls between 7 and 18 years old, diagnosed with migraine without aura according to the “International Classification of Headache Disorders II” diagnostic criteria, took part. Three groups (pre-, peri-, and postpubertal) were formed according to the Tanner stage and the onset of a regular menstruation. Girls kept a daily headache and menstrual cycle diary over 8 weeks. Ovulatory cycles were analyzed by weekly progesterone saliva tests. Main results and the role of chance Three groups according to Tanner stage and onset of regular menstruation were compared: pre- (n = 16), peri- (n = 19) and post-pubertal (n = 12) girls. A significant difference in migraine frequency was found between pre- and post- pubertal girls (p = 0.005). Headache characteristics did not differ significantly between the three groups. Interestingly, a higher frequency of attacks in follicular phase occurred compared to luteal phase (p = 0.030). Limitations, reasons for caution Repeated blood sampling would have been a more reliable technique compared to saliva assays. The sample size is small. Wider implications of the findings: During puberty, the number of migraine attacks but not the specific headache characteristics changes in adolescent girls which should be taken into consideration regarding the management of these patients. Trial registration number AN2013–0027

Serum and urinary concentrations of sex hormones and genital swelling during the menstrual cycle of the gibbon

1993 ◽  
Vol 136 (3) ◽  
pp. 447-455 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. D. Nadler ◽  
J. F. Dahl ◽  
D. C. Collins
Keyword(s):  
Menstrual Cycle ◽  
Sex Hormones ◽  
Luteal Phase ◽  
Follicular Phase ◽  
Sex Hormone ◽  
Physiological Processes ◽  
Multimale Groups ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Monitoring Progress ◽  
Female Genital

ABSTRACT The relationship between sex hormone concentrations and female genital swelling during the menstrual cycle in the monogamous gibbon was comparable with that of polygamous female primates, such as the chimpanzee, which live in multimale groups and have larger swellings. The data, therefore, support the hypothesis proposed by C. R. Carpenter more than 50 years ago, that the gibbon's genital swelling, like that of other female primates, reflects basic physiological processes associated with progress of the menstrual cycle. Genital swelling increased during the follicular phase with increasing concentrations of oestradiol and oestrone glucuronide, reached maximal swelling in association with the mid-cycle peaks in the oestrogens and LH and began detumescence with the initial increases in progesterone during the luteal phase. The data also suggest that the menstrual cycle of the gibbon is shorter than previously reported, since cycles of 19–22 days exhibited hormone patterns that are consistent with ovulation. The genital swelling of the female gibbon is a useful marker for monitoring progress of the menstrual cycle and the presumptive time of ovulation. Journal of Endocrinology (1993) 136, 447–455

scholarly journals ADMA concentration changes across the menstrual cycle and during oral contraceptive use: the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study

2010 ◽  
Vol 162 (2) ◽  
pp. 259-265 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pirjo Valtonen ◽  
Kari Punnonen ◽  
Heli Saarelainen ◽  
Nonna Heiskanen ◽  
Olli T Raitakari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oral Contraceptive ◽  
Menstrual Cycle ◽  
Brachial Artery ◽  
Luteal Phase ◽  
Follicular Phase ◽  
Cycle Phase ◽  
Adult Women ◽  
Brachial Artery Diameter ◽  
Concentration Changes ◽  
Adma Concentration

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to evaluate changes in the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) levels during different menstrual cycle phases in young adult women with or without oral contraceptive (OC) use.Design and methodsThe subjects (n=1079) originated from a large population-based, prospective cohort study conducted in Finland. Plasma ADMA, symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA), l-arginine, C-reactive protein, creatinine, and brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) were measured. The use of OCs and menstrual cycle phase were determined from a questionnaire.ResultsIn non-OC users, ADMA (P=0.017), l-arginine (P=0.002), and ADMA/SDMA ratio (P<0.001) were significantly lower in the luteal phase than in the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. Non-OC users also had significantly higher ADMA and SDMA concentrations (P<0.001) and lower l-arginine concentrations (P<0.001) compared to OC users of estrogen-containing pills. Progestin-only contraceptive pills (POPs) did not lower the ADMA level, but maintained it at the same level as in non-OC users. In OC users, there were no significant differences found in ADMA, FMD, or FMD% across menstrual cycle, whereas brachial artery diameter was significantly more decreased in the luteal phase (P=0.013) than in the follicular phase.ConclusionWe observed that the circulating ADMA concentration varies across the menstrual cycle in young women not using OCs, and women on OCs displayed significantly lower circulating ADMA concentrations than non-OC users, though this was not the case with POP contraception.

Opioid Control of the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Cyclically Fails in Menstrual Migraine

Cephalalgia ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabio Facchinetti ◽  
Emilia Martignoni ◽  
Loridine Fioroni ◽  
Grazia Sances ◽  
Andrea R Genazzani
Keyword(s):  
Menstrual Cycle ◽  
Follicular Phase ◽  
Menstrual Migraine ◽  
Cycle Phase ◽  
Corticotropin Releasing Hormone ◽  
Menstrual Cycle Phase ◽  
Releasing Hormone ◽  
Adrenal Axis ◽  
Hypothalamus Pituitary Adrenal Axis ◽  
Pituitary Adrenal Axis

To assess the biological correlates of the precipitation of migraine attacks in the perimenstrual period, plasma b-endorphin (b-EP) and cortisol responses to naloxone (8 mg iv) and corticotropin releasing hormone (100 μg iv) were evaluated in both the follicular phase and the premenstrual period in 7 patients suffering from menstrual migraine and in 7 healthy, asymptomatic control volunteers. In the controls, naloxone evoked a significant release of both b-EP (F = 5.86, p < 0.002) and cortisol (F = 4.43, p < 0.008), independently of the menstrual cycle phase (F = 0.31 and 1.04, for b-EP and cortisol, respectively). Menstrual migraine patients, on the other hand, showed a significant hormone response only in the follicular phase, not in the premenstrual period. Corticotropin releasing hormone significantly increased b-EP and cortisol in both the controls and the menstrual migraine patients, independently of the menstrual cycle phase. In both the naloxone and corticotropin releasing hormone testings, the basal b-EP levels measured in the premenstrual period were lower than those observed in the follicular phase ( p < 0.02). These data demonstrate a cyclical, premenstrual dysfunction of the hypothalamic control exerted by opioids on the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis. Impairment of this fundamental adaptive mechanism (involved in stress responses and in pain control) could establish a causal relationship between menstrual-related migraine attacks and premenstrual opioid hyposensitivity.

scholarly journals Sex Differences and Menstrual Cycle Phase-Dependent Modulation of Craving for Cigarette: An fMRI Pilot Study

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrianna Mendrek ◽  
Laurence Dinh-Williams ◽  
Josiane Bourque ◽  
Stéphane Potvin
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Menstrual Cycle ◽  
Parietal Lobe ◽  
Follicular Phase ◽  
Cycle Phase ◽  
Functional Neuroanatomy ◽  
Early Follicular Phase ◽  
Hormonal Fluctuations ◽  
Women And Girls ◽  
The Right

While overall more men than women smoke cigarettes, women and girls take less time to become dependent after initial use and have more difficulties quitting the habit. One of the factors contributing to these differences may be that women crave cigarettes more than men and that their desire to smoke is influenced by hormonal fluctuations across the menstrual cycle. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was twofold: (a) to examine potential sex/gender differences in functional neuroanatomy of craving and to (b) delineate neural correlates of cigarette cravings in women across their menstrual cycle. Fifteen tobacco-smoking men and 19 women underwent a functional MRI during presentation of neutral and smoking-related images, known to elicit craving. Women were tested twice: once during early follicular phase and once during midluteal phase of their menstrual cycle. The analysis did not reveal any significant sex differences in the cerebral activations associated with craving. Nevertheless, the pattern of activations in women varied across their menstrual cycle with significant activations in parts of the frontal, temporal, and parietal lobe, during follicular phase, and only limited activations in the right hippocampus during the luteal phase.

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