Effects of follicular versus luteal phase-based strength training in young women
- Hormonal variations during the menstrual cycle (MC) may influence trainability of strength. We investigated the effects of a follicular phase-based strength training (FT) on muscle strength, muscle volume and microscopic parameters, comparing it to a luteal phase-based training (LT). Eumenorrheic women without oral contraception (OC) (N = 20, age: 25.9 \(\pm\) 4.5 yr, height: 164.2 \(\pm\) 5.5 cm, weight: 60.6 \(\pm\) 7.8 kg) completed strength training on a leg press for three MC, and 9 of them participated in muscle biopsies. One leg had eight training sessions in the follicular phases (FP) and only two sessions in the luteal phases (LP) for follicular phase-based training (FT), while the other leg had eight training sessions in LP and only two sessions in FP for luteal phase-based training (LT). Estradiol (E2), progesterone (P4), total testosterone (T), free testosterone (free T) and DHEA-s were analysed once during FP (around day 11) and once during LP (around day 25). Maximum isometric force \((F_{max})\), muscle diameter (Mdm), muscle fibre composition (No), fibre diameter (Fdm) and cell nuclei-to-fibre ratio (N/F) were analysed before and after the training intervention. T and free T were higher in FP compared to LP prior to the training intervention (P < 0.05). The increase in \(F_{max}\) after FT was higher compared to LT (P <0.05). FT also showed a higher increase in Mdm than LT (P < 0.05). Moreover, we found significant increases in Fdm of fibre type ΙΙ and in N/F only after FT; however, there was no significant difference from LT. With regard to change in fibre composition, no differences were observed between FT and LT. FT showed a higher gain in muscle strength and muscle diameter than LT. As a result, we recommend that eumenorrheic females without OC should base the periodization of their strength training on their individual MC.
Author: | Eunsook SungGND, Ahreum HanORCiDGND, Timo HinrichsGND, Matthias VorgerdORCiDGND, Carmen ManchadoGND, Petra PlatenORCiDGND |
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URN: | urn:nbn:de:hbz:294-57497 |
DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1186/2193-1801-3-668 |
Parent Title (English): | SpringerPlus |
Document Type: | Article |
Language: | English |
Date of Publication (online): | 2018/06/26 |
Date of first Publication: | 2014/11/11 |
Publishing Institution: | Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsbibliothek |
Tag: | Open Access Fonds Anabolic hormones; Eumenorrheic menstrual cycle; Isometric strength; Muscle diameter; Muscle fibre |
Volume: | 3 |
Issue: | 1 |
First Page: | 668-1 |
Last Page: | 668-10 |
Note: | Article Processing Charge funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) and the Open Access Publication Fund of Ruhr-Universität Bochum. |
Institutes/Facilities: | Lehrstuhl für Sportmedizin und Sporternährung |
Dewey Decimal Classification: | Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften / Medizin, Gesundheit |
open_access (DINI-Set): | open_access |
faculties: | Fakultät für Sportwissenschaft |
Licence (English): | Creative Commons - CC BY 4.0 - Attribution 4.0 International |