Women`s sex hormones—estrogen and progesterone (Pg)—have been recognized to influence metabolism, muscular fitness, and body composition. Researchers in sex hormone variation during the menstrual cycle (MC) and substrate metabolism have focused predominantly on the study of aerobic exercise. There is consensus among researchers that women rely more on fat as a source of fuel and spare more glucose compared to men both at rest and during exercise. Predominantly, there are two differing streams of thought derived from research. One position is that there are no differences between MC phases, and the other position supports the hypothesis that glucose sparing and fat oxidation are increased when estrogen and Pg are elevated at rest and during exercise. These effects seem to disappear at intensities >75% of the maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max). Women exhibit an increased potential for higher performance in aerobic moderate-to-high intensity exercise that seems to vary with hormonal fluctuations. In the case of resistance training (RT), researchers have mainly analyzed the effects of sex hormones on muscular fitness and bone density. But, the effects of RT on substrate metabolism need further examination. Given the potential for glycogen storage at specific MC phases, estrogen and Pg could impact performance in power/velocity-related events. Still methodological limitations (i.e., sample size, number of time-points of the MC examined, or variability of the protocols utilized to determine the MC phases) might have contributed to inconsistent findings. Therefore, research in MC and substrate metabolism must be analyzed carefully.
© Copyright 2023 The active female. Health issues throughout the lifespan. Veröffentlicht von Springer Nature. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.