Dr.Biol. A.K. Leal Cortes¹
A. K. Ferreira¹
P.S. Alves¹
Dr.Biol. E. E. Martin Dantas²
PhD A. K. Gomes ³
Dr.Hab., Associate Professor T. G. Fomichenko^4
1University center of Santo Agostinho, Teresina, Brazil
²Federal University of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
³Brazil Academy of sports coaches of the Brazilian Olympic Committee, Londrina, Brazil
⁴Federal Scientific Center for Physical Culture and Sports, Moscow, Russia

Keywords: muscle strength, menstrual cycle, physical working capacity, strength training.

Background. For the last few decades, national statistics have reported the growing popularity of physical fitness systems for muscle strength building, physical well-being, health improvement, body shaping (aesthetic) and competitive progress purposes [1]. Hard physical trainings, on the other hand, are known to provoke disorders in homeostasis, with special risks for the women’s health due to the natural hormonal variations with the menstrual cycle phases. The sports science, however, still leaves underexplored the issues of the women’s physical working capacity variations with the menstrual cycle phases [3, 7].

Objective of the study was to theoretically analyze the women’s muscle strength and physical working capacity variations with the menstrual cycle phases.

Methods and structure of the study. The study was designed to analyze and classify findings of practical studies with concern to the muscle strength variations with the menstrual cycle phases (15,842 sources in total for 2005 through 2018) available in the electronic databases.

Results and discussion. We found the practical studies giving priority to the single maximal-strength tests (54%), maximal-strength tests with 10-repetitions (23%) and lower-limb strength variation tests. Of special interest for our study was the fact that the researchers still disagree on the top- and lowest-physical-working-capacity menstrual cycle phases: see Table 1 hereunder.

Table 1. Key studies of the muscle strength variations with menstrual cycle phases

As found by the studies, a woman’s muscle strength averages 63.5% of a man’s one, with the isometric muscle strength of a woman’s upper body and lower limbs averaging 55.8% and 71.9% of a man’s one, respectively [6, 15]. The studies differ on the question if the trainings-specific hormonal fluctuations affect physical working capacity; although report no significant fluctuations in the maximal muscle strength with the menstrual cycle phases [8, 10].

It was also found by a few studies that the lower-limb muscle strength of the contraceptive-using women appear to be menstrual-cycle-phase dependent, with a special fall in the follicular phase [1, 2]. One study [15] argues that the wavelike training system control sensitive to the menstrual cycle phases may be rather beneficial for the lower and upper limb strength building and fat mass reduction programs, with the lean body mass reported to grow for an 8-week training cycle. The muscle strength versus menstrual cycle profiling studies found the average and top muscle strength growing in the postmenstrual phase although insignificant differences in the carpal strength were found in the contraceptives using versus non-using women [5].

In the postmenstrual phase, with the growth of estrogen and norepinephrine, the physical working capacity rates were tested to grow as reported by the study [3]. The lower-limb muscle strength appears to vary with the menstrual cycle phases in physically active women non-using contraceptives, with the muscle strength peaking in the luteal phase [14, 15]. Other studies found the menstrual cycle phases having insignificant effect on the lower- and upper-limb muscle strength in the strength training women; and on the strength building by single-/ multi-joint exercises for the large/ small muscles and/ or specific body segments [10, 12].

Conclusion. Our analyses of the study reports on the subject have found no systemic significant variations of the women’s muscle strength with the menstrual cycle phases – as verified, among other things, by the conflicting findings of the studies focused on specific menstrual cycle phases assumed to be critical. The problem is further complicated by the differences in the muscle strength test methods. At the same time, the researchers generally recognize the importance of the strength training systems being reasonably customized to the menstrual cycle phases for the muscle mass building purposes. Note that we also used for our analyses findings of the studies commissioned by the Federal Scientific Center of the National Physical Culture and Sports Research Institute.

References

1. Dias I., SImão R., Novaes  J.S. Efeito das diferentes fases do ciclo menstrual em um teste de 10 RM. Fitness & Performance Journal.  2005. v. 4. No. 5. pp. 288-292.
2. Bezerra C.H.L., Nascimento J.F., Felipe T.R., Pinto E.F., Silva W.R.C., Leão G.C.B., Mafra D. A. Avaliação da força muscular, em diferentes períodos do ciclo menstrual. Ciênc. da escola da saúde. 2015. No. 2. pp. 45-52.
3. Costa P.L., Souza G.C., Santos F. P., Silva C.C.D.R., Mosquera C.H., Silva S. F. Influência das diferentes fases do ciclo menstrual na força muscular em membros inferiors. EFDeportes.com, Revista Digital, Buenos Aires.  2013. Ano18. No. 180.
4. Celestino K.S.D., Santos I.F.; Santos A.L.B., Loureiro A.C. Comparação da força muscular de mulheres durante as fases do ciclo menstrual. Cad. Cult. Ciênc. 2012. Ano VII. v. 11. No.1.
5. Kubo, K., Miyamoto M., Tanaka S., Maki A., Tsunoda N., Kanehisa H. Muscle and tendon properties during menstrual cycle. International journal of sports medicine. 2009. v. 30, no. 02. pp. 139-143.
6. Lima R.C.O., Santos M.Q., Veiga P.H.A., Oliveira M.N.N. Analise da força muscular de preensão manual durante e após o ciclo menstrual. Fisioter S Fun. Fortaleza. 2012. v. 1. No. 1. pp. 22-27.
7. Lopes C.R., Crisp A.H., Mota G.R., Avanço G.A., Verlengia R. A fase folicular influência a performance muscular durante o período de treinamento de força. Pensar a Prática. Goiânia. 2013. v. 16. No.4. pp. 956-1270.
8. Loureiro S., Dias I.D., Sales I. Alessi, Simão R., Fermino R.C. Efeito das diferentes fases do ciclo menstrual no desempenho da força muscular em 10RM. Rev Bras Med Esporte. 2011.  v. 17. No. 1.
9. Oliveira A.D.S., Nery I.S. Influência do ciclo menstrual na força de mulheres praticantes de musculação. R. Interd. 2015. v. 8. No. 1. pp. 123-128.
10. Pallavi L.C., SoUza U.J.D., Shivaprakash G.  Assessment of musculoskeletal strength and levels of fatigue during different phases of menstrual cycle in young adults. Journal of clinical and diagnostic research: JCDR. 2017. v. 11, no. 2, Р. CC11.
11. Pedregal K.A.C., Medeiros K.B., Da Silva J.A.C. Análise da força muscular e escolhas dietéticas de mulheres fisicamente ativas durante o ciclo menstrual.  RBNE-Revista Brasileira de Nutrição Esportiva. 2017. v. 11. No. 64. pp. 507-515.
12. Ramos H.C., Morales P. J., Souza W.C.; Brasilino M.F., Brasilino F. F. Análise da força muscular dos membros inferiores em mulheres praticantes de musculação nas diferentes fases do ciclo menstrual. RBPFEX-Revista Brasileira de Prescrição e Fisiologia do Exercício.  2018. v. 12. No. 72. pp.29-37.
13. Resende F.M.A., Domiciano T.R., Silva D.C.O., Araujo T.F.V.; Silva L.F.G. Efeito de um treinamento resistido periodizado, conforme as fases do ciclo menstrual, na composição corporal e força muscular. Brazilian Journal of Biomotricity. 2009. v. 3. No.1. pp. 65-75.
14. Simão R., Maior A.S., Nunes A.P.L., Monteiro L., Chaves C.P.G. Variações na força muscular de membros superior e inferior nas diferentes fases do ciclo menstrual. R. bras. Cien e Mov. 2007. v. 15. No. 3. pp. 47-52.
15. Sipavičienė S., Daniusevičiutė L., Klizienė I., Kamandulis S., Skurvydas A. Effects of estrogen fluctuation during the menstrual cycle on the response to stretch-shortening exercise in females. BioMed research international. 2013.v. 2013.

Corresponding author: fomitchenko@yandex.ru

Abstract

Objective of the study was to theoretically analyze the women’s muscle strength and physical working capacity variations with the menstrual cycle phases.

Methods and structure of the study. The study was designed to analyze and classify findings of practical studies with concern to the muscle strength variations with the menstrual cycle phases (15,842 sources in total for 2005 through 2018) available in the electronic databases.

Results and conclusions. As found by the studies, a woman’s muscle strength averages 63.5% of a man’s one, with the isometric muscle strength of a woman’s upper body and lower limbs averaging 55.8% and 71.9% of a man’s one, respectively. It was also found by a few studies that the lower-limb muscle strength of the contraceptive-using women appear to be menstrual-cycle-phase dependent, with a special fall in the follicular phase. Analyses of the study reports on the subject have found no systemic significant variations of the women’s muscle strength with the menstrual cycle phases – as verified, among other things, by the conflicting findings of the studies focused on specific menstrual cycle phases assumed to be critical. The problem is further complicated by the differences in the muscle strength test methods. At the same time, the researchers generally recognize the importance of the strength training systems being reasonably customized to the menstrual cycle phases for the muscle mass building purposes. Note that we also used for our analyses findings of the studies commissioned by the Federal Scientific Center of the National Physical Culture and Sports Research Institute.