No Effect of Menstrual Cycle Phase on Wingate Power Outputs or Perceived Exertion in Eumenorrheic Women

Lambright, KR, Bunn, JA, and Newmire, DE. No effect of menstrual cycle phase on Wingate power outputs or perceived exertion in eumenorrheic women. J Strength Cond Res 40(10): 1223-1230, 2026-This study examined whether anaerobic performance and perceived exertion vary across 3 menstrual cycle phases: early follicular, late follicular, and mid-luteal in healthy, eumenorrheic women. Ten recreationally active women (22.7 ± 3.8 years) completed three 30-second Wingate anaerobic cycling tests during early follicular (1-4 days after the onset of menses), late follicular (1-3 days before predicted ovulation), and mid-luteal (6-9 days after predicted ovulation). Menstrual cycle phases were verified using ovulation test strips and self-reported tracking over 2 full cycles, with performance testing occurring during the third cycle. At each session, subjects completed a standardized warm-up followed by a Wingate test on a Velotron ergometer. Measured outcomes included peak power (W), mean power (W), anaerobic capacity (Wkg), fatigue index (%), and rating of perceived exertion. Data were analyzed using one-way repeated-measures ANOVAs. No differences were observed across menstrual phases for peak power ( p = 0.667, η2 = 0.044), mean power ( p = 0.236, η2 = 0.148), anaerobic capacity ( p = 0.817, η2 = 0.022), fatigue index ( p = 0.307, η2 = 0.033), or rating of perceived exertion ( p = 0.607, η2 = 0.054). While mean power demonstrated a large effect size, it did not reach statistical significance. These findings suggest that the menstrual cycle phase may not significantly influence short-duration anaerobic power output or perceived exertion. This may indicate that recreationally active women can perform high-intensity efforts such as the Wingate test consistently throughout their cycle. The results provide practical insights for athletes, coaches, and exercise professionals who design training programs for women, suggesting that phase-based modifications to anaerobic training may not be necessary for this population.