The effects of menstrual cycle phase on acute critical power testing performance in healthy females
Kelly E Joniak1, Sam R Moore1,2, Alex N Ladan1
1Department of Exercise and Sport Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Aim:
Critical power (CP) is derived from the hyperbolic relationship between power output and time to exhaustion (TTE) and delineates severe-intensity exercise from the heavy-intensity domain. Fluctuations in endogenous and exogenous female sex hormones may influence this power-duration relationship.
Purpose:
This study examined CP and subjective fatigue between low-hormonal (LHP) and high-hormonal (HHP) phases of the menstrual cycle (MC) in eumenorrheic (EUM), intrauterine device (IUD), and oral contraceptive (OC) using females.
Methods:
Thirty-five participants (mean ± SD: age: 24.3 ± 6.1 yrs, weight: 65.2 ± 7.0 kg) completed a randomized crossover design. Performance outcomes (CP [W], anaerobic work capacity [W´; J], TTE [sec], and total work [J]) were evaluated from three TTE trials at 110%, 80%, and 95% of peak oxygen consumption. Subjective feelings of fatigue, sleepiness, consciousness, and energy were obtained from validated questionnaires.
Results:
CP (LHP-HHP; Δ ± SE: 0.81 ± 1.87 W), W´ (Δ -295.44 ± 415.04 J), TTE (Δ: 110%: -7.98 ± 6.16 s; 95%: 1.21 ± 9.44 s; 80%: - 52.63 ± 25.80 s), total work (Δ: - 8,022 ± 4,590 J), and energy (Δ: - 1.69 ± 8.45 a.u) were not significantly different between MC phases. Greater subjective fatigue (LHP-HHP; Δ: - 5.69 ± 12.08 a.u; p = 0.009), sleepiness (Δ: - 3.34 ± 9.70 a.u; p = 0.049), and consciousness (Δ: - 0.86 ± 2.1 a.u; p = 0.024) were identified in HHP.
Conclusion:
These data suggest that MC phase does not alter parameters of the power-duration relationship in recreationally active females, but subjective feelings of fatigue may be altered during the high-hormone phase of the MC.
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