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- Ihalainen, Johanna K., et al.
(author)
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Body composition, energy availability, training, and menstrual status in female runners
- 2021
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In: International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance. - : Human Kinetics. - 1555-0265 .- 1555-0273. ; 16:7, s. 1043-1048
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose: To determine body composition, energy availability, training load, and menstrual status in young elite endurance running athletes (ATH) over 1 year, and in a secondary analysis, to investigate how these factors differ between nonrunning controls (CON), amenorrheic (AME), and eumenorrheic (EUM) ATH. Correlations to injury, illness, and performance were also examined. Methods: 13 ATH and 8 CON completed the Low Energy Availability in Females Questionnaire. Anthropometric, energy intake, and peak oxygen uptake assessments were made at 4 time points throughout the year: at baseline post competition season, post general preparation, post-specific preparation, and post competition season the following year. Logs of physical activity, menstrual cycle, illness, and injury were kept by all participants. Performance was defined using the highest International Association of Athletics Federations points prior to and after the study. Results: ATH had significantly lower body mass (P=.008), fat percentage (P<.001), and body mass index (P=.027) compared with CON, while energy availability did not differ between ATH and CON. The Low Energy Availability in Females Questionnaire score was higher in ATH than in CON (P=.028), and 8 ATH (vs zero CON) were AME. The AME had significantly more injury days (P=.041) and ran less (P=.046) than EUM, while total annual running distance was positively related to changes in performance in ATH (r=.62, P=.043, n=11). Conclusions: More than half of this group of runners was AME, and they were injured more and ran less than their EUM counterparts. Furthermore, only the EUM runners increased their performance over the course of the year.
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| 2. |
- Taipale-Mikkonen, Ritva S., et al.
(author)
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Influence of Menstrual Cycle or Hormonal Contraceptive Phase on Physiological Variables Monitored During Treadmill Testing
- 2021
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In: Frontiers in Physiology. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 1664-042X. ; 12
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose: To examine the influence of menstrual cycle (MC) and hormonal contraceptive (HC) cycle phases on physiological variables monitored during incremental treadmill testing in physically active women (eumenorrheic, EUM = 16 and monophasic HC-users, CHC = 12).Methods: Four running tests to exhaustion were performed at bleeding, mid follicular (mid FOL)/active 1, ovulation/active 2, and mid luteal (mid LUT)/inactive. HC and MC phases were confirmed from serum hormones. Heart rate (HR), blood lactate (Bla), and V˙V˙O2 were monitored, while aerobic (AerT) and anaerobic (AnaT) thresholds were determined. V˙V˙O2peak, maximal running speed (RUNpeak), and total running time (RUNtotal) were recorded.Results: No significant changes were observed in V˙V˙O2 or Bla at AerT or AnaT across phases in either group. At maximal effort, absolute and relative V˙V˙O2peak, RUNpeak, and RUNtotal remained stable across phases in both groups. No significant fluctuations in HRmax were observed across phases, but HR at both AerT and AnaT tended to be lower in EUM than in CHC across phases.Conclusion: Hormonal fluctuations over the MC and HC do not systematically influence physiological variables monitored during incremental treadmill testing. Between group differences in HR at AerT and AnaT underline why HR-based training should be prescribed individually, while recording of MC or HC use when testing should be encouraged as phase may explain minor, but possibly meaningful, changes in, e.g., Bla concentrations or differences in HR response.
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