Influence of the Menstrual Cycle on Blood Markers of Muscle Damage and Inflammation Following Eccentric Exercise

Nuria Romero-Parra, Laura Barba-Moreno, Beatriz Rael, Víctor M. Alfaro-Magallanes, Rocío Cupeiro, Ángel E. Díaz, Francisco J. Calderón and Ana B. Peinado
Additional contact information
Nuria Romero-Parra: LFE Research Group. Department of Health and Human Performance. Faculty of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), 28040 Madrid, Spain
Laura Barba-Moreno: LFE Research Group. Department of Health and Human Performance. Faculty of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), 28040 Madrid, Spain
Beatriz Rael: LFE Research Group. Department of Health and Human Performance. Faculty of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), 28040 Madrid, Spain
Víctor M. Alfaro-Magallanes: LFE Research Group. Department of Health and Human Performance. Faculty of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), 28040 Madrid, Spain
Rocío Cupeiro: LFE Research Group. Department of Health and Human Performance. Faculty of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), 28040 Madrid, Spain
Ángel E. Díaz: Clinical Laboratory. National Center of Sport Medicine. Health and Sports Department, Agencia Española de Protección de la Salud en el Deporte (AEPSAD), 28040 Madrid, Spain
Francisco J. Calderón: LFE Research Group. Department of Health and Human Performance. Faculty of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), 28040 Madrid, Spain
Ana B. Peinado: LFE Research Group. Department of Health and Human Performance. Faculty of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), 28040 Madrid, Spain

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 5, 1-12

Abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the menstrual cycle and its underlying hormonal fluctuations affect muscle damage and inflammation in well-trained females following an eccentric exercise. Nineteen eumenorrheic women performed an eccentric squat-based exercise in the early follicular phase, late follicular phase and mid-luteal phase of their menstrual cycle. Sex hormones and blood markers of muscle damage and inflammation –creatine kinase, myoglobin, lactate dehydrogenase, interleukin-6, tumoral necrosis factor-α, and C reactive protein– were analyzed in each phase. No effect of menstrual cycle phase was observed ( p > 0.05), while an interaction for interleukin-6 was shown ( p = 0.047). Accordingly, a moderate effect size [0.68 (0.53)–0.84 (0.74)], indicated that interleukin-6 values 2 h post-trial (2.07 ± 1.26 pg/mL) were likely to be higher than baseline (1.59 ± 0.33 pg/mL), 24 h (1.50 ± 0.01 pg/mL) and 48 h (1.54 ± 0.13 pg/mL) in the mid-luteal phase. Blood markers of muscle damage and inflammation were not affected by the menstrual cycle in well-trained women. The eccentric exercise barely triggered muscle damage and hence, no inflammation was observed, possibly due to participants training status. The mid-luteal phase was the only phase reflecting a possible inflammatory response in terms of interleukin-6, although further factors than sex hormones seem to be responsible for this finding.

Keywords: sex hormones; creatine kinase; inflammation; female (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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