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Methodological Recommendations for Menstrual Cycle Research in Sports and Exercise
Xanne Janse DE Jonge1, Belinda Thompson1, Ahreum Han2
1Faculty of Science, The University of Newcastle, Ourimbah, AUSTRALIA.
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
|June 28, 2019
Summary
Accurate menstrual cycle tracking is crucial for exercise science. Methodological improvements, including hormone measurement, are recommended to resolve conflicting research on exercise performance and the menstrual cycle.
Area of Science:
- Exercise science and sports medicine research.
- Reproductive endocrinology and exercise physiology.
Background:
- Menstrual cycle research in exercise science is growing but yields conflicting results.
- Methodological inconsistencies are proposed as a key reason for these discrepancies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide methodological recommendations for menstrual cycle research in exercise science and sports medicine.
- To improve the quality and consistency of future studies in this field.
Main Methods:
- A literature review of menstrual cycle verification methods used in exercise performance studies (2008-2018).
- Analysis of studies published in PubMed and SportDiscus databases.
Main Results:
- Only 44% of reviewed studies measured estrogen and progesterone concentrations.
- Inclusion of participants with anovulatory or luteal phase-deficient cycles and small sample sizes impacted results.
- Hormonal fluctuations are linked to potential changes over the menstrual cycle.
Conclusions:
- Recommend a combined approach for menstrual cycle phase verification: calendar-based counting, luteinizing hormone surge testing, and serum estrogen/progesterone measurement.
- Advocate for a luteal phase verification limit of >16 nmol·L for progesterone.
- Suggest including the late follicular estrogen peak in future research to clarify the menstrual cycle's effects on exercise performance and related fields.
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