Smith Ella S, McCormick Rachel, McKay Alannah K A, Ackerman Kathryn E, Elliott-Sale Kirsty J, Stellingwerff Trent, Harris Rachel, Burke Louise M
Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, VIC, AUSTRALIA.
Wu Tsai Female Athlete Program, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2025 Mar 1;57(3):590-599. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000003587. Epub 2024 Nov 6.
To examine the relationship between menstrual cycle (MC) phase-dependent fluctuations of estrogen and progesterone and virtual cycling race performance, with a secondary aim of correlating perceived MC-related symptoms with performance.
In a novel observational study design, 37 female cyclists/triathletes not using any hormonal contraception completed one virtual cycling race (19.5-km time trial (TT)) per week across a 1-month period (totaling four races). Participants completed MC characterization and tracking, including urinary ovulation kits, across two complete MCs. Venous blood samples were collected within 21 h of racing to determine serum 17-β-estradiol and progesterone concentrations, as well as an assessment of self-reported, perceived race-day MC and gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, which were all then correlated to race performance.
There was no relationship between race completion time and individual estradiol ( r = -0.001, P = 0.992) or progesterone ( r = -0.023, P = 0.833) concentrations. There was no difference between race time between MC phases (follicular/luteal, P = 0.238), whether MC bleeding or not bleeding ( P = 0.619), and whether ovulating or not ovulating ( P = 0.423). The total number of perceived MC symptoms recorded on race day was positively correlated to increased race time ( r = 0.268 (95% confidence interval, 0.056-0.457), P = 0.014), as was the number of GI symptoms of at least "moderate" severity before the race ( r = 0.233 (95% confidence interval, 0.021-0.425), P = 0.031), but not post-race ( r = 0.022, P = 0.841).
When implementing a novel, virtual cycling race, fluctuations in ovarian hormone concentrations across the MC do not appear to affect real-world cycling performance among trained cyclists, whereas perceived negative MC and GI symptoms may relate to impaired performance. Therefore, the management of negative MC and GI symptoms appears important for athletic performance enhancement or to mitigate performance decline.
研究雌激素和孕激素在月经周期（MC）各阶段的波动与虚拟自行车比赛成绩之间的关系，其次要目的是将与MC相关的自觉症状与比赛成绩进行关联分析。
在一项新颖的观察性研究设计中，37名未使用任何激素避孕措施的女性自行车运动员/铁人三项运动员在1个月的时间里每周完成一场虚拟自行车比赛（19.5公里计时赛（TT））（共四场比赛）。参与者在两个完整的MC周期内完成MC特征分析和跟踪，包括使用尿液排卵检测试剂盒。在比赛结束后的21小时内采集静脉血样，以测定血清17-β-雌二醇和孕酮浓度，并评估自我报告的、自觉的比赛日MC和胃肠道（GI）症状，然后将所有这些与比赛成绩进行关联分析。
比赛完成时间与个体雌二醇浓度（r = -0.001，P = 0.992）或孕酮浓度（r = -0.023，P = 0.833）之间没有关系。MC各阶段（卵泡期/黄体期，P = 0.238）、是否有MC出血（P = 0.619）以及是否排卵（P = 0.423）之间的比赛时间没有差异。比赛日记录的MC自觉症状总数与比赛时间增加呈正相关（r = 0.268（95%置信区间，0.056 - 0.457），P = 0.014），比赛前至少“中度”严重程度的GI症状数量也与比赛时间增加呈正相关（r = 0.233（95%置信区间，0.021 - 0.425），P = 0.031），但比赛后则不然（r = 0.022，P = 0.841）。
在进行一项新颖的虚拟自行车比赛时，MC期间卵巢激素浓度的波动似乎不会影响训练有素的自行车运动员的实际骑行表现，而自觉的负面MC和GI症状可能与表现受损有关。因此，管理负面的MC和GI症状对于提高运动表现或减轻表现下降似乎很重要。
