Burrows Melonie, Peters Charlotte E
The University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon, UK.
Sports Med. 2007;37(7):557-74. doi: 10.2165/00007256-200737070-00001.
It is now estimated that the prevalence of oral contraceptive use in athletic women matches that of women in the general population. The oral contraceptive pill (OCP) reduces cycle-length variability and provides a consistent 28-day cycle by controlling concentrations of endogenous sex hormones. The OCP is administered in three different forms that differ widely in chemical constitution and concomitant effects on the human body. As fluctuation in sex steroids are believed to be a possible causal factor in performance and exercise capacity, it is imperative to understand the effect of administering the various types of OCP on women. However, the research into oral contraceptives and exercise performance is not consistent. The type of OCP administered (monophasic, biphasic or triphasic), as well as the type and dose of estrogen and progestogen within, will have varying effects on exercise. To date, research in the area of oral contraceptives and exercise capacity is sparse and much has been plagued by poor research design, methodology and small sample size. It is clear from the research to date that more randomised clinical trials are urgently required to assess the array of OCP formulations currently available to women and their concomitant effect on health and exercise capacity. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to critically appraise the literature to date and to provide a current review of the physiological scientific knowledge base in relation to the OCP and exercise performance. In addition, methodological control, design and conduct will be considered with future areas of research highlighted.
据估计，目前从事体育运动的女性口服避孕药的使用率与普通女性相当。口服避孕药（OCP）通过控制内源性性激素的浓度，减少了月经周期长度的变异性，并提供了一个稳定的28天周期。OCP有三种不同的剂型，它们在化学组成和对人体的附带影响方面有很大差异。由于性类固醇的波动被认为是影响运动表现和运动能力的一个可能因素，因此有必要了解使用各种类型的OCP对女性的影响。然而，关于口服避孕药与运动表现的研究并不一致。所使用的OCP类型（单相、双相或三相），以及其中雌激素和孕激素的类型和剂量，对运动的影响各不相同。迄今为止，关于口服避孕药与运动能力方面的研究很少，而且许多研究都受到研究设计、方法和样本量小的困扰。从目前的研究来看，显然迫切需要更多的随机临床试验来评估目前女性可用的一系列OCP制剂及其对健康和运动能力的附带影响。因此，本文的目的是对迄今为止的文献进行批判性评价，并对与OCP和运动表现相关的生理科学知识基础进行当前综述。此外，还将考虑方法学控制、设计和实施，并突出未来的研究领域。
