Current evidence shows no influence of women's menstrual cycle phase on acute strength performance or adaptations to resistance exercise training

Methodology

Evidence overview

Population

Umbrella review of 5 systematic reviews/meta-analyses covering eumenorrheic women; also appraises the individual primary studies within them

Intervention

Resistance exercise performed in different menstrual cycle phases; cycle-phase-based ('phase-based') training periodisation

Findings

This umbrella review of five systematic reviews/meta-analyses found no consistent influence of menstrual cycle phase on acute strength performance or on resistance training adaptations. Nine of 10 moderate-to-high-quality primary studies found no difference between phases; cycle-phase-based periodisation is not supported by current evidence.

Outcome measures

Acute strength/force performance and longer-term resistance-training adaptations (strength, hypertrophy)

Limitations

Umbrella review/narrative synthesis rather than a new meta-analysis; constrained by the low methodological quality and small samples of the underlying primary literature; most primary studies did not hormonally verify cycle phase.

Original source

DOI: 10.3389/fspor.2023.1054542 · PMID: 37065809