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Review
. 2023 Mar 23:5:1054542.
doi: 10.3389/fspor.2023.1054542. eCollection 2023.

Current evidence shows no influence of women's menstrual cycle phase on acute strength performance or adaptations to resistance exercise training

Lauren M Colenso-Semple  1 , Alysha C D'Souza  1 , Kirsty J Elliott-Sale  2 , Stuart M Phillips  1
Affiliations
Review

Current evidence shows no influence of women's menstrual cycle phase on acute strength performance or adaptations to resistance exercise training

Lauren M Colenso-Semple et al. Front Sports Act Living. .

Abstract

Introduction: The bias towards excluding women from exercise science research is often due to the assumption that cyclical fluctuations in reproductive hormones influence resistance exercise performance and exercise-induced adaptations.

Methods: Hence, the purpose of this umbrella review was to examine and critically evaluate the evidence from meta-analyses and systematic reviews on the influence of menstrual cycle phase on acute performance and chronic adaptations to resistance exercise training (RET).

Results: We observed highly variable findings among the published reviews on the ostensible effects of female sex hormones on relevant RET-induced outcomes, including strength, exercise performance, and hypertrophy.

Discussion: We highlight the importance of comprehensive menstrual cycle verification methods, as we noted a pattern of poor and inconsistent methodological practices in the literature. In our opinion, it is premature to conclude that short-term fluctuations in reproductive hormones appreciably influence acute exercise performance or longer-term strength or hypertrophic adaptations to RET.

Keywords: exercise performance; hypertrophy; menstrual cycle; resistance training; strength.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
A graphical representation of the average hormonal changes that occur during a menstrual cycle, showcasing the expected rise and fall of key hormones. EFP, early follicular phase; MFP, mid-follicular phase; LFP, late follicular phase; OV, ovulation; ELP, early luteal phase; MLP, mid-luteal phase; LLP, late luteal phase.
Figure 2
Figure 2
A schematic figure highlighting the variability in LH (luteinizing hormone) surge in women highlighting the impracticality of planning greater training volume in one versus another phase of a woman's menstrual cycle. Data are theoretical but based on data showing the extraordinary variability of the LH surge in women—for example: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9473716/ (Supplementary Figure S3). Data redrawn with permission.
Figure 3
Figure 3
A schematic figure highlighting the impracticality of planning greater training volume in one versus another phase of a woman's menstrual cycle based on data showing the extraordinary variability of the timing of ovulation in women—for example: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9473716/ (Supplementary Figure S3).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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