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. 1991 Jun;1(2):94-98.
doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0838.1991.tb00277.x.

Physiological responses to submaximal exercise at the mid-follicular, ovulatory and mid-luteal phases of the menstrual cycle

A C Hackney  1 , C S Curley  2 , B J Nicklas  2
Affiliations

Physiological responses to submaximal exercise at the mid-follicular, ovulatory and mid-luteal phases of the menstrual cycle

A C Hackney et al. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 1991 Jun.

Abstract

This study examined the responses of eumenorrheic women to 60 min of submaximal exercise at the mid-follicular (MF), ovulatory (OV) and mid-luteal (ML) phases of the menstrual cycle. Blood metabolite-hormonal measures, cardiorespiratory responses and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) (local, legs only; and total, entire body) were monitored at 15-min intervals throughout exercise. No significant effects for phase were observed in the blood measures or the cardiorespiratory responses, except for the respiratory exchange ratio (RER). The overall exercise OV RER (0.86 ± 0.02; mean ± SEM) was lower than at MF (0.94 ± 0.02) but not at ML (0.89 ± 0.01). Substrate utilization (%) and oxidation (g/min) calculations indicated that more fat was used during OV than at MF but not ML. Conversely, more carbohydrate was used during MF than OV. Additionally, local RPE was higher in OV than in the MF or ML trials at 30-60 min of exercise. These findings suggest that menstrual cycle hormonal fluctuations influence metabolic substrate usage and effort perception during submaximal exercise in eumenorrheic women.

Keywords: eumenorrhea; females; hormones; metabolism.

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Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
The overall respiratory exchange ratios (RER) measured during the mid-follicular (MF), ovulatory (OV) and mid-luteal (ML) exercise trials. P < 0.05, between-phase differences.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
The fat oxidation (upper panel: g/min) and utilization (bottom panel: %) measured during the mid-follicular (MF), ovulatory (OV) and mid-luteal (ML) exercise trials. P < 0.05, between-phase differences.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3.
The local RPE changes (modified Borg scale [14]) during the mid-follicular (MF), ovulatory (OV) and mid-luteal (ML) exercise trials. P < 0.05, OV values significantly different from MF and ML values.
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