The menstrual cycle is a part of every woman's life. Our aim was to evaluate the effect of different ovarian hormones and the menstrual cycle (MC) on exercise performance. We were also interested in how the metabolism of nutrients changes in correlation with different hormones. Exercise performance was divided into high-intensity short-duration exercise, submaximal long-lasting endurance, strength training, and flexibility.
Based on the available scientific data, we can conclude that MC has an effect on exercise performance in athletes, but not to an extent that would threaten their performance in competition. The exceptions to this finding are extreme sports such as ultramarathon, where a phase of the menstrual cycle could have a more significant impact. We could not support the hypothesis that MC has a significant impact on endurance, although the findings of studies vary in relation to this issue. When it comes to strength training, it is believed to be more effective in the first half of the menstrual cycle – the follicular phase – due to a positive impact of estrogen on the muscle mass. Flexibility is strongly affected by sex hormones, especially estrogen. It pikes when ovulation occurs, promotes tissue elasticity, and increases the risk of injuries, with injuries of the anterior cruciate ligament being the most common. Metabolism is also affected by sex hormones. We conclude that the metabolism changes caused by hormones in the luteal phase could improve endurance. It is also known that estrogen promotes lipolysis, affecting aerobic exercise. By contrast, protein catabolism is increased in the luteal phase, which is why strength training is better performed the follicular phase.
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