Resistance Training and Sex Hormone Concentrations During the Menstrual Cycle

Acute Effects of Resistance Training on Sex Hormone Concentrations on Different Phases of the Menstrual Cycle

Although there are numerous studies showing effects of aerobic training on sex hormone concentrations, research analyzing the fluctuation of sex hormones in response to resistance training (RT) is lacking. The objective of this project is to analyze estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) responses to an acute resistance training session throughout different phases of the menstrual cycle. This proposed research has strong implications for exercise prescription and for women in general, but more importantly will allow exercise physiologists, coaches, personal trainers, or nutritionists optimize exercise programming around women's menstrual cycle.

Study Overview

• Status: Unknown
• Conditions: Women's Health
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Resistance Training

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 25
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Illinois
    • Edwardsville, Illinois, United States, 62026
      • Recruiting
      • Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
      • Contact: Maria Fernandez del Valle, PhD; Phone Number: 618-650-5905; Email: marfern@siue.edu
      • Principal Investigator: Maria Fernandez del Valle, PhD

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 45 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: Female

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Eumenorrheic females
• Age 18-45 years old
• BMI of 18.5-34.99 kg/m2

Exclusion Criteria:

• Practice exercise more than 2 days/week in the last 3 months.
• Cardiovascular, metabolic, pulmonary or muscular-skeletal condition
• Taking medications that affect metabolism (e.g. oral contraceptives)
• Irregular menstrual cycles

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

4

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Early Follicular Phase (EFP)	Behavioral: Resistance Training; Participants will exercise at the mid-point of each menstrual cycle phase (EFP- day 4, LFP- day 11, ELP- day 18 and LLP- day 25 for a 28 day menstrual cycle). Training will consist of a warm up. Intensity will be set at 70% of 1RM, and the circuit training will include 7 strength exercises: leg press, rows, back squat, weighted crunches, deadlifts, bench press, and weighted squat jumps. The participant will perform 3 sets f 10 repetitions with 30 seconds of rest
Experimental: Late Follicular Phase (LFP)	Behavioral: Resistance Training; Participants will exercise at the mid-point of each menstrual cycle phase (EFP- day 4, LFP- day 11, ELP- day 18 and LLP- day 25 for a 28 day menstrual cycle). Training will consist of a warm up. Intensity will be set at 70% of 1RM, and the circuit training will include 7 strength exercises: leg press, rows, back squat, weighted crunches, deadlifts, bench press, and weighted squat jumps. The participant will perform 3 sets f 10 repetitions with 30 seconds of rest
Experimental: Early Luteal Phase (ELP)	Behavioral: Resistance Training; Participants will exercise at the mid-point of each menstrual cycle phase (EFP- day 4, LFP- day 11, ELP- day 18 and LLP- day 25 for a 28 day menstrual cycle). Training will consist of a warm up. Intensity will be set at 70% of 1RM, and the circuit training will include 7 strength exercises: leg press, rows, back squat, weighted crunches, deadlifts, bench press, and weighted squat jumps. The participant will perform 3 sets f 10 repetitions with 30 seconds of rest
Experimental: Late Luteal Phase (LLP)	Behavioral: Resistance Training; Participants will exercise at the mid-point of each menstrual cycle phase (EFP- day 4, LFP- day 11, ELP- day 18 and LLP- day 25 for a 28 day menstrual cycle). Training will consist of a warm up. Intensity will be set at 70% of 1RM, and the circuit training will include 7 strength exercises: leg press, rows, back squat, weighted crunches, deadlifts, bench press, and weighted squat jumps. The participant will perform 3 sets f 10 repetitions with 30 seconds of rest

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in estrogen concentrations	Estrogen concentrations will be obtained from blood samples assessed using through ELISA kits	through study completion, an average of 5 weeks
Change in progesterone concentrations	Progesterone concentrations will be obtained from blood samples assessed using through ELISA kits	through study completion, an average of 5 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Lean body mass (kg)	Lean body mass (kg) will be assessed through Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry	At baseline: 1 assessment point
Fat mass (kg)	Fat mass (kg) will be assessed through Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry	At baseline: 1 assessment point
Relative body fat (%)	Relative body fat (%) will be assessed through Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry	At baseline: 1 assessment point
Skeletal muscle mass (kg)	Skeletal muscle mass (kg) will be estimated using Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry values	At baseline: 1 assessment point
Cardiorespiratory Fitness	Cardiorespiratory Fitness will be assessed with a cardiopulmonary exercise test using the Bruce protocol	At baseline: 1 assessment point
Strength in Bench Press	Maximal strength bench press will be assessed using one repetition maximum test	At baseline: 1 assessment point
Strength in Leg Press	Maximal strength in leg press will be assessed using one repetition maximum test	At baseline: 1 assessment point
Changes in diet	Diet will be assessed using the a 24h dietary recall	through study completion, an average of 5 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): November 1, 2019
• Primary Completion (Anticipated): December 1, 2021
• Study Completion (Anticipated): December 1, 2021

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: October 30, 2019
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 13, 2019
• First Posted (Actual): November 14, 2019

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): February 18, 2020
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 15, 2020
• Last Verified: May 1, 2019

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Menstrual Cycle; Resistance Training; Progesterone; Estrogen
• Other Study ID Numbers: 111B

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No