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Effects of Resistance Training on Women With Functional Hypothalamic Amenorrhea

22 mei 2026 bijgewerkt door: Carmen Daniela Quero Calero, Catholic University of Murcia

Impact of Strength Training on Mental Health and Physical Fitness in Women With Functional Hypothalamic Amenorrhea

Functional hypothalamic amenorrhea (FHA) is a condition where women lose their menstrual periods, typically due to a combination of stress and insufficient calorie intake to fuel their daily physical activity (low energy availability). Standard medical advice often requires these women to completely stop exercising to recover their energy balance and hormones. However, this "complete rest" approach can cause severe anxiety for active individuals and removes the necessary mechanical loading that keeps bones strong.

This study evaluates the safety and effectiveness of an 8-week supervised resistance training (weightlifting) program as a realistic alternative treatment for active women with FHA. The researchers compare a group of women experiencing FHA to a control group of women with regular menstrual cycles. Over the 8 weeks, participants complete three moderate-intensity, full-body weightlifting sessions per week.

The primary goal is to determine if women with FHA can successfully recover their menstrual cycles while continuing to lift weights. Additionally, the study monitors changes in muscle strength, jumping performance, body composition, resting heart rate, and psychological well-being. Ultimately, this study aims to provide healthcare providers and coaches with evidence-based strategies that allow female athletes to safely maintain their athletic identity and physical health during recovery.

Studie Overzicht

Toestand

Nog niet aan het werven

Conditie

Interventie / Behandeling

Studietype

Ingrijpend

Inschrijving (Geschat)

28

Fase

  • Niet toepasbaar

Contacten en locaties

In dit gedeelte vindt u de contactgegevens van degenen die het onderzoek uitvoeren en informatie over waar dit onderzoek wordt uitgevoerd.

Studie Locaties

  • Spanje
    • Murcia
      • Murcia, Murcia, Spanje, 30107
        • Universidad Católica de Murcia

Deelname Criteria

Onderzoekers zoeken naar mensen die aan een bepaalde beschrijving voldoen, de zogenaamde geschiktheidscriteria. Enkele voorbeelden van deze criteria zijn iemands algemene gezondheidstoestand of eerdere behandelingen.

Geschiktheidscriteria

Leeftijden die in aanmerking komen voor studie

  • Volwassen
  • Oudere volwassene

Accepteert gezonde vrijwilligers

Ja

Beschrijving

Inclusion Criteria:

  • General Profile: Active women aged 18 to 35 years.
  • FHA Group: Clinical diagnosis of Functional Hypothalamic Amenorrhea, defined as the absence of menstruation for at least three consecutive months not attributable to other endocrine disorders.
  • Control Group (EU): Eumenorrheic women with regular ovulatory cycles lasting between 24 and 35 days during the previous six months.
  • Commitment: Agreement to participate in a supervised 8-week resistance training program and provision of medical documentation confirming menstrual status.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Hormonal Status: Current use of any hormonal contraceptives.
  • Medical Conditions: Diagnosed endocrine disorders such as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), hyperandrogenism, or thyroid dysfunction.

Pregnancy: Current pregnancy.

  • Physical Activity History: Engagement in any structured resistance training program during the three months prior to the start of the intervention.
  • General Health: Any medical condition that could interfere with the study protocol or the ability to perform physical exercise.

Studie plan

Dit gedeelte bevat details van het studieplan, inclusief hoe de studie is opgezet en wat de studie meet.

Hoe is de studie opgezet?

Ontwerpdetails

  • Primair doel: Behandeling
  • Toewijzing: Niet-gerandomiseerd
  • Interventioneel model: Parallelle opdracht
  • Masker: Geen (open label)

Wapens en interventies

Deelnemersgroep / Arm
Interventie / Behandeling
Experimenteel: Women with functional hypothalamic amenorrhea (absence of menses for at least three consecutive mont
Ander: Resistance Training Program

Supervised 8-week resistance training program consisting of three non-consecutive full-body sessions per week. Each session included four multi-joint exercises targeting upper and lower body muscle groups.

Training dosage:

Volume: Two working sets of 6-8 repetitions per exercise. Intensity: Individualized loads progressed weekly from 60% to 80% of estimated 1RM. 1RM was estimated using the Epley equation.

Effort: Performed at 0-1 repetitions in reserve (RIR). Rest:Standardized 1-minute intervals between sets.

Adherence was tracked via a mobile application, recording load, sets, repetitions, and session RPE. Training was conducted under professional supervision to ensure safety and protocol compliance.
Experimenteel: Eumenorrheic women with regular ovulatory cycles (24-35 days) performing the same 8-week supervised
Ander: Resistance Training Program

Supervised 8-week resistance training program consisting of three non-consecutive full-body sessions per week. Each session included four multi-joint exercises targeting upper and lower body muscle groups.

Training dosage:

Volume: Two working sets of 6-8 repetitions per exercise. Intensity: Individualized loads progressed weekly from 60% to 80% of estimated 1RM. 1RM was estimated using the Epley equation.

Effort: Performed at 0-1 repetitions in reserve (RIR). Rest:Standardized 1-minute intervals between sets.

Adherence was tracked via a mobile application, recording load, sets, repetitions, and session RPE. Training was conducted under professional supervision to ensure safety and protocol compliance.

Wat meet het onderzoek?

Primaire uitkomstmaten

Uitkomstmaat
Maatregel Beschrijving
Tijdsspanne
Incidence of Menstrual Recovery
Tijdsspanne: 8 weeks
Number of participants in the Functional Hypothalamic Amenorrhea (FHA) group who experience at least one spontaneous menstrual bleeding episode during the 8-week intervention. Menstrual status is monitored daily using non-invasive methods: self-reported menstrual diaries and basal body temperature (BBT) tracking with a digital thermometer (SENTI2) to identify hormonal fluctuations. Recovery is defined as the occurrence of the first menses post-intervention commencement.
8 weeks

Secundaire uitkomstmaten

Uitkomstmaat
Maatregel Beschrijving
Tijdsspanne
Change in Neuromuscular Performance (Lower Limb Power)
Tijdsspanne: Baseline and 8 weeks
Evaluation of lower-limb power through the Countermovement Jump (CMJ) test performed on a force platform. Jump height (cm) and power output (W/kg) were recorded to assess neuromuscular adaptations.
Baseline and 8 weeks
Change in Neuromuscular Performance (Upper Limb Power)
Tijdsspanne: Baseline and 8 weeks
Evaluation of upper-limb strength through handgrip dynamometry testing. Grip strength (kg) was recorded to assess changes in maximal upper-limb force production.
Baseline and 8 weeks
Change in Body Mass
Tijdsspanne: Baseline and 8 weeks
Evaluation of body mass using bioelectrical impedance analysis. Body mass (kg) will be assessed before and after the intervention to monitor changes associated with menstrual recovery and the exercise intervention.
Baseline and 8 weeks
Change in Fat Mass
Tijdsspanne: Baseline and 8 weeks
Evaluation of fat mass using bioelectrical impedance analysis. Fat mass (%) will be assessed before and after the intervention to determine body composition changes during menstrual recovery.
Baseline and 8 weeks
Change in Body Mass Index
Tijdsspanne: Baseline and 8 weeks
Body mass index (BMI, kg/m²) will be calculated from body mass and height measurements to evaluate anthropometric changes following the intervention.
Baseline and 8 weeks
Change in Health-Related Quality of Life
Tijdsspanne: Baseline and 8 weeks
Assessment of psychological well-being using the Short Form-36 (SF-36) questionnaire. This tool evaluates eight health domains, with total scores ranging from 0 to 100; higher scores indicate better health status and quality of life.
Baseline and 8 weeks
Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index
Tijdsspanne: Baseline and 8 weeks
A 19-item questionnaire generating seven component scores and one global score used to assess sleep quality. The global PSQI score ranges from 0 to 21 points, with higher scores reflecting poorer sleep quality. A global score >5 indicates poor sleep quality.
Baseline and 8 weeks
Low Energy Availability in Females Questionnaire
Tijdsspanne: Baseline and 8 weeks
The Low Energy Availability in Females Questionnaire (LEAF-Q) is a 25-item instrument designed to assess risk factors associated with low energy availability in physically active females, including menstrual function, gastrointestinal symptoms, and injury history. The questionnaire provides a total score ranging from 0 to 25 points, with higher scores indicating greater risk of low energy availability and related conditions. A total score ≥8 is considered indicative of increased risk for low energy availability and the Female Athlete Triad/Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S).
Baseline and 8 weeks
Eating Attitudes Test
Tijdsspanne: Baseline and 8 weeks
The Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26) is a 26-item questionnaire assessing symptoms and concerns characteristic of eating disorders. It provides a total score and three subscales: dieting, bulimia and food preoccupation, and oral control. Total scores range from 0 to 78 points, with higher scores indicating greater disordered eating symptomatology. A total score ≥20 suggests potentially problematic eating behaviors and risk of eating disorders.
Baseline and 8 weeks
Menstrual Distress Questionnaire
Tijdsspanne: Baseline and 8 weeks
The Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MDQ) is a 22-item Likert-scale questionnaire designed to assess physical, psychological, and behavioral symptoms associated with the menstrual cycle. The questionnaire provides a total score ranging from 22 to 110 points, with higher scores indicating greater menstrual-related distress and symptom severity.
Baseline and 8 weeks
Change in Cardiac Autonomic Regulation
Tijdsspanne: Baseline and 8 weeks
Assessment of heart rate variability (HRV) through the root mean square of successive differences between adjacent R-R intervals recorded via a heart rate monitor at rest.The following variables were obtained: mean R-R interval (RR, ms) and the root mean square of successive differences between adjacent R-R intervals (RMSSD, ms), to assess autonomic nervous system activity and cardiac autonomic modulation.
Baseline and 8 weeks

Medewerkers en onderzoekers

Hier vindt u mensen en organisaties die betrokken zijn bij dit onderzoek.

Sponsor

Catholic University of Murcia

Publicaties en nuttige links

De persoon die verantwoordelijk is voor het invoeren van informatie over het onderzoek stelt deze publicaties vrijwillig ter beschikking. Dit kan gaan over alles wat met het onderzoek te maken heeft.

Algemene publicaties

Studie record data

Deze datums volgen de voortgang van het onderzoeksdossier en de samenvatting van de ingediende resultaten bij ClinicalTrials.gov. Studieverslagen en gerapporteerde resultaten worden beoordeeld door de National Library of Medicine (NLM) om er zeker van te zijn dat ze voldoen aan specifieke kwaliteitscontrolenormen voordat ze op de openbare website worden geplaatst.

Bestudeer belangrijke data

Studie start (Geschat)

15 mei 2026

Primaire voltooiing (Geschat)

10 juli 2026

Studie voltooiing (Geschat)

25 juli 2026

Studieregistratiedata

Eerst ingediend

15 mei 2026

Eerst ingediend dat voldeed aan de QC-criteria

22 mei 2026

Eerst geplaatst (Werkelijk)

29 mei 2026

Updates van studierecords

Laatste update geplaatst (Werkelijk)

29 mei 2026

Laatste update ingediend die voldeed aan QC-criteria

22 mei 2026

Laatst geverifieerd

1 mei 2026

Meer informatie

Termen gerelateerd aan deze studie

Aanvullende relevante MeSH-voorwaarden

Andere studie-ID-nummers

  • CE052508

Plan Individuele Deelnemersgegevens (IPD)

Bent u van plan om gegevens van individuele deelnemers (IPD) te delen?

NEE

Informatie over medicijnen en apparaten, studiedocumenten

Bestudeert een door de Amerikaanse FDA gereguleerd geneesmiddel

Nee

Bestudeert een door de Amerikaanse FDA gereguleerd apparaatproduct

Nee

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