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International Journal of Environmental... Jan 2021: The increase in exercise levels in the last few years among professional and recreational female athletes has led to an increased scientific interest about sports... (Observational Study)
Observational Study Randomized Controlled Trial
: The increase in exercise levels in the last few years among professional and recreational female athletes has led to an increased scientific interest about sports health and performance in the female athlete population. The purpose of the IronFEMME Study described in this protocol article is to determine the influence of different hormonal profiles on iron metabolism in response to endurance exercise, and the main markers of muscle damage in response to resistance exercise; both in eumenorrheic, oral contraceptive (OC) users and postmenopausal well-trained women. : This project is an observational controlled randomized counterbalanced study. One hundered and four (104) active and healthy women were selected to participate in the IronFEMME Study, 57 of which were eumenorrheic, 31 OC users and 16 postmenopausal. The project consisted of two sections carried out at the same time: iron metabolism (study I) and muscle damage (study II). For the study I, the exercise protocol consisted of an interval running test (eight bouts of 3 min at 85% of the maximal aerobic speed), whereas the study II protocol was an eccentric-based resistance exercise protocol (10 sets of 10 repetitions of plate-loaded barbell parallel back squats at 60% of their one repetition maximum (1RM) with 2 min of recovery between sets). In both studies, eumenorrheic participants were evaluated at three specific moments of the menstrual cycle: early-follicular phase, late-follicular phase and mid-luteal phase; OC users performed the trial at two moments: withdrawal phase and active pill phase. Lastly, postmenopausal women were only tested once, since their hormonal status does not fluctuate. The three-step method was used to verify the menstrual cycle phase: calendar counting, blood test confirmation, and urine-based ovulation kits. Blood samples were obtained to measure sex hormones, iron metabolism parameters, and muscle damage related markers. : IronFEMME Study has been designed to increase the knowledge regarding the influence of sex hormones on some aspects of the exercise-related female physiology. Iron metabolism and exercise-induced muscle damage will be studied considering the different reproductive status present throughout well-trained females' lifespan.
Topics: Adult; Creatine Kinase; Exercise; Female; Follicular Phase; Hepcidins; Humans; Iron; Iron Metabolism Disorders; Luteal Phase; Menstrual Cycle; Metabolism; Middle Aged; Muscle Contraction; Muscle, Skeletal; Resistance Training
PubMed: 33561085
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18020735 -
Journal of Neuroinflammation Oct 2020The peri-menopause or menopausal transition-the time period that surrounds the final years of a woman's reproductive life-is associated with profound reproductive and... (Review)
Review
The peri-menopause or menopausal transition-the time period that surrounds the final years of a woman's reproductive life-is associated with profound reproductive and hormonal changes in a woman's body and exponentially increases a woman's risk of cerebral ischemia and Alzheimer's disease. Although our understanding of the exact timeline or definition of peri-menopause is limited, it is clear that there are two stages to the peri-menopause. These are the early menopausal transition, where menstrual cycles are mostly regular, with relatively few interruptions, and the late transition, where amenorrhea becomes more prolonged and lasts for at least 60 days, up to the final menstrual period. Emerging evidence is showing that peri-menopause is pro-inflammatory and disrupts estrogen-regulated neurological systems. Estrogen is a master regulator that functions through a network of estrogen receptors subtypes alpha (ER-α) and beta (ER-β). Estrogen receptor-beta has been shown to regulate a key component of the innate immune response known as the inflammasome, and it also is involved in regulation of neuronal mitochondrial function. This review will present an overview of the menopausal transition as an inflammatory event, with associated systemic and central nervous system inflammation, plus regulation of the innate immune response by ER-β-mediated mechanisms.
Topics: Estrogen Receptor beta; Estrogens; Female; Humans; Immunity, Innate; Menopause; Menstrual Cycle; Neurodegenerative Diseases; Perimenopause
PubMed: 33097048
DOI: 10.1186/s12974-020-01998-9 -
PloS One 2023Eumenorrheic women experience cyclic variations in sex hormones attributed to the menstrual cycle (MC) which can impact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) properties, knee...
Effects of the menstrual cycle phase on anterior cruciate ligament neuromuscular and biomechanical injury risk surrogates in eumenorrheic and naturally menstruating women: A systematic review.
BACKGROUND
Eumenorrheic women experience cyclic variations in sex hormones attributed to the menstrual cycle (MC) which can impact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) properties, knee laxity, and neuromuscular function. This systematic review aimed to examine the effects of the MC on ACL neuromuscular and biomechanical injury risk surrogates during dynamic tasks, to establish whether a particular MC phase predisposes women to greater ACL injury risk.
METHODS
PubMed, Medline, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science were searched (May-July 2021) for studies that investigated the effects of the MC on ACL neuromuscular and biomechanical injury risk surrogates. Inclusion criteria were: 1) injury-free women (18-40 years); 2) verified MC phases via biochemical analysis and/or ovulation kits; 3) examined neuromuscular and/or biomechanical injury risk surrogates during dynamic tasks; 4) compared ≥1 outcome measure across ≥2 defined MC phases.
RESULTS
Seven of 418 articles were included. Four studies reported no significant differences in ACL injury risk surrogates between MC phases. Two studies showed evidence the mid-luteal phase may predispose women to greater risk of non-contact ACL injury. Three studies reported knee laxity fluctuated across the MC; two of which demonstrated MC attributed changes in knee laxity were associated with changes in knee joint loading (KJL). Study quality (Modified Downs and Black Checklist score: 7-9) and quality of evidence were low to very low (Grading of Recommendations Assessment Development and Evaluation: very low).
CONCLUSION
It is inconclusive whether a particular MC phase predisposes women to greater non-contact ACL injury risk based on neuromuscular and biomechanical surrogates. Practitioners should be cautious manipulating their physical preparation, injury mitigation, and screening practises based on current evidence. Although variable (i.e., magnitude and direction), MC attributed changes in knee laxity were associated with changes in potentially hazardous KJLs. Monitoring knee laxity could therefore be a viable strategy to infer possible ACL injury risk.
Topics: Humans; Female; Anterior Cruciate Ligament; Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries; Menstruation; Joint Instability; Knee Joint; Menstrual Cycle; Biomechanical Phenomena
PubMed: 36701354
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0280800 -
Journal of Research in Health Sciences Aug 2019We aimed to investigate the effects of exercise based on a specific protocol on the severity and duration of primary dysmenorrhea in students residing in dormitories of... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
BACKGROUND
We aimed to investigate the effects of exercise based on a specific protocol on the severity and duration of primary dysmenorrhea in students residing in dormitories of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, western Iran in 2017.
STUDY DESIGN
Randomized controlled trial study.
METHODS
Overall, 86 students (43 in the interventional group and 43 in the control group) with mild to moderate dysmenorrhea were enrolled. The exercise based on the FITT protocol (Intensity of exercise, time of exercise, and type of exercise) was implemented for the interventional group in 8 weeks. The McGill Pain scale was used to determine the severity of pain in dysmenorrhea. Duration of pain was calculated in terms of the day. Research data were analyzed using SPSS 20 and the significance level was considered 0.05.
RESULTS
The mean dysmenorrhea severity in the first menstrual cycle after the intervention in intervention group was significantly lower than the control group (3.06 (1.78) and 4.74 (2.14), respectively) and in the second menstrual cycle (2.01 (1.54) and 4.61 (2.01) respectively) (P<0.001). The mean duration of dysmenorrhea in the first menstrual cycle after the intervention in intervention group was less than the control group (1.29 (0.92) and 2.32 (1.26) respectively) P<0.001) and in the second menstrual cycle (0.94 (0.93) and 2.13 (1.24) respectively) P<0.001).
CONCLUSION
Sports activities based on a certain and organized protocol could improve dysmenorrhea.
Topics: Dysmenorrhea; Exercise; Exercise Therapy; Female; Humans; Iran; Menstrual Cycle; Pain Measurement; Sports; Students, Medical; Treatment Outcome; Young Adult
PubMed: 31586377
DOI: No ID Found -
Journal of Women's Health (2002) Aug 2022The menstrual cycle may influence vulvodynia through hormonal pathways or vulvar irritation due to menstruation or menstrual hygiene. We assessed menstrual cycle...
The menstrual cycle may influence vulvodynia through hormonal pathways or vulvar irritation due to menstruation or menstrual hygiene. We assessed menstrual cycle characteristics in those with and without clinically confirmed vulvodynia. Participants were recruited from the administrative database of a health care network serving ∼27% of Minneapolis-Saint Paul residents. For 220 clinically confirmed cases and 224 controls, menstrual cycle characteristics were retrospectively assessed at three time points: before age 18, the year before onset of vulvar pain, and 3 months before study participation. Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the associations between menstrual characteristics at all three time points and vulvodynia. Models adjusted for prespecified confounders were evaluated against crude effect estimates. Women with heavier menstrual flows had higher odds of vulvodynia compared with women with lighter menstrual flows during their adolescent years (OR 1.62, 95% CI 0.91-2.86), the year before onset of vulvar pain (OR = 2.11, 95% CI 1.10-4.02), and during the 3 months before study participation (OR = 1.67, 95% CI 0.91-3.06). Women with more severe cramps also had higher odds of vulvodynia compared with women with no or mild cramps during their adolescent years (OR = 2.45, 95% CI 1.45-4.15), the year before onset of vulvar pain (OR = 3.30, 95% CI 1.67-6.51), and during the 3 months before study participation (OR = 4.96, 95% CI 1.99-12.36). Women with specific premenstrual symptoms also reported higher odds of vulvodynia. Among those with vulvodynia, half reported a change in vulvar pain across the menstrual cycle, with 60% of these reporting greater pain just before and during menstruation. Furthermore, we observe a trend of decreased tampon use and increased use of sanitary pads as women with vulvodynia moved closer to their date of diagnosis. Menstrual cycle characteristics were associated with vulvodynia, and associations were consistent across different phases of the reproductive life cycle.
Topics: Adolescent; Female; Humans; Hygiene; Menstrual Cycle; Menstruation; Muscle Cramp; Pain; Retrospective Studies; Vulvodynia
PubMed: 35041490
DOI: 10.1089/jwh.2020.9011 -
International Journal of Sports... Aug 2023
Topics: Female; Humans; Menstrual Cycle; Exercise
PubMed: 37414402
DOI: 10.1123/ijspp.2023-0234 -
Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport Jul 2023Menstrual health represents a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being in relation to a woman's menstrual cycle. From a health literacy perspective,... (Review)
Review
Menstrual health represents a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being in relation to a woman's menstrual cycle. From a health literacy perspective, knowledge acquisition and expertise are dependent upon the degree to which an individual can find, access, understand, critically analyse, and apply health information. Therefore, menstrual health literacy can be used to describe the state of knowledge acquisition and application specific to menstrual health-related issues. Menstrual health literacy is low among female athletes, their coaches, and practitioners, and few evidence-informed education or implementation strategies exist to improve menstrual health literacy in sport. Moreover, athletes seldom discuss their menstrual cycles or hormonal contraceptive use with their coaches, despite experiencing menstrual symptoms and/or disturbances and perceiving their menstrual cycles/hormonal contraceptive use to affect performance. Barriers to communication about menstrual cycle- and hormonal contraceptive-related topics include a perceived lack of knowledge among athletes, coaches, and practitioners, concerns about how conversations on these issues will affect interpersonal relationships, and a lack of formal and informal discussion forums. Whilst evidence relating to the effects of the menstrual cycle phase and hormonal contraceptive use on training and performance is currently limited, with existing studies often lacking methodological rigour, impactful steps can still be made to support female athletes. This cornerstone review highlights the current state of menstrual health literacy among athletes, coaches, and practitioners, and provides recommendations for improving menstrual health literacy in sport.
Topics: Humans; Female; Health Literacy; Sports; Athletes; Contraceptives, Oral; Menstrual Cycle
PubMed: 37407335
DOI: 10.1016/j.jsams.2023.06.007 -
Nature Communications Oct 2023Natural variability in menstrual cycle length, coupled with rapid changes in endometrial gene expression, makes it difficult to accurately define and compare different...
Natural variability in menstrual cycle length, coupled with rapid changes in endometrial gene expression, makes it difficult to accurately define and compare different stages of the endometrial cycle. Here we develop and validate a method for precisely determining endometrial cycle stage based on global gene expression. Our 'molecular staging model' reveals significant and remarkably synchronised daily changes in expression for over 3400 endometrial genes throughout the cycle, with the most dramatic changes occurring during the secretory phase. Our study significantly extends existing data on the endometrial transcriptome, and for the first time enables identification of differentially expressed endometrial genes with increasing age and different ethnicities. It also allows reinterpretation of all endometrial RNA-seq and array data that has been published to date. Our molecular staging model will significantly advance understanding of endometrial-related disorders that affect nearly all women at some stage of their lives, such as heavy menstrual bleeding, endometriosis, adenomyosis, and recurrent implantation failure.
Topics: Female; Humans; Endometrium; Menstrual Cycle; Uterine Diseases; Transcriptome; Biopsy
PubMed: 37798294
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41979-z -
Current Opinion in Endocrinology,... Dec 2020This review seeks to evaluate the impact of environmental exposures on the menstrual cycle length detailing timing of exposure on pathophysiology. (Review)
Review
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
This review seeks to evaluate the impact of environmental exposures on the menstrual cycle length detailing timing of exposure on pathophysiology.
RECENT FINDINGS
Recent literature has examined the relationship between menstrual cycle length and environmental exposures including air pollutants, parabens, and polybrominated biphenyls.
SUMMARY
Research is limited but suggest importance of further research in evaluating environmental exposures and menstrual cycle length.
Topics: Environmental Exposure; Environmental Pollutants; Female; Humans; Menstrual Cycle; Menstruation Disturbances; Time Factors
PubMed: 33027071
DOI: 10.1097/MED.0000000000000579 -
BMC Women's Health May 2018Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a common disorder among women of reproductive age. Nearly 40% of women report problems with their menstrual cycles. Exercise is one of the... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study Randomized Controlled Trial
BACKGROUND
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a common disorder among women of reproductive age. Nearly 40% of women report problems with their menstrual cycles. Exercise is one of the recommended treatments to reduce symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). The present study was conducted to determine the effect of 8 weeks aerobic exercise on severity of physical symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
METHODS
This study was a randomized clinical trial (IRCT2015021721116N1) that was performed on 65 students living in student dormitories of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences in 2016, Iran. Samples were randomly assigned to control and intervention groups. The intervention group engaged in 8 weeks of aerobic exercises, three times a week, and 20 min for each session. The tools were research unit selection questionnaire, midwifery and personal particulars, temporary determination of premenstrual syndrome, Beck Depression, recorded daily symptoms of premenstrual syndrome and Borg scale. We analyzed the data using SPSS software and Mann-Whitney U test and Friedman test.
RESULTS
At the beginning of the study, both control and intervention groups were homogeneous. The results of independent t-test showed that among the physical symptoms of the premenstrual syndrome in the intervention group compared to the control group, at the end of the study, headache (p = 0.001), nausea, constipation diarrhea (p = 0.01), swollen (p = 0/001) had a significant reduction. Also, the comparison of the difference between the mean of the signs at the beginning and the end of the study, bloating (p = 0.01), Vomiting (p = 0.002), hot flashes (p = 0.04), increase in appetite (p = 0.008) were significantly decreased.
CONCLUSION
Aerobic exercise as one of the ways to treat premenstrual syndrome can reduce the physical symptoms of the syndrome.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
Name of registry: Zahra Mohebbi Dehnavi. IRCT registration number: IRCT 2015021721116 N1. Registration date: 2015 - 08-28. Registration timing: retrospective.
Topics: Adult; Exercise; Female; Humans; Iran; Menstrual Cycle; Premenstrual Syndrome; Retrospective Studies; Students; Surveys and Questionnaires; Universities; Young Adult
PubMed: 29855308
DOI: 10.1186/s12905-018-0565-5