Identifying Periods of High Training Load Considering the Menstrual Cycle Phases in Elite and Non-elite Female Athletes

Plain-language summary

Despite a rise in the number of women participating in competitive sports, there remains a gender gap within sport and exercise science literature. Studying females involves potential "noise" through the change in hormone concentrations during the different phases of the female menstrual cycle (MC) which can potentially affect physiological parameters, thereby making study design and interpretation of findings difficult. Longitudinal data on the acute and chronic combined effects of training load and MC phases on circulating female hormones in elite and non-elite female athletes is lacking. The investigators aim to characterize and track the potential effects of training load and MC phases on performance, anthropometric measures, sport emotions, intestinal microbiome, serum metabolites and injury prevalence in elite and non-elite female athletes. 200 competitive premenopausal female athletes will be recruited. In a longitudinal observational design, each participant will be followed for 1 year, and tested at three time points. At each point, data will be collected on two occasions reflecting distinct phases of the MC. Finding the possible relationship between the MC phases, training load and performance or specific bio-markers for training load are of utmost importance and can assist professionals to identify periods of high load and over-training, thus preventing injuries and training adjustment.

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