Can period-related symptoms predict menstrual manipulation among Australian female cyclists?

This study explored the extent of menstrual manipulation and its associated impact on period-related symptoms and training disruptions in Australian Female Cyclists. 205 female cyclists, from recreational to elite level, participated in an online "Female Cyclist Questionnaire (FCQ)". The FCQ utilised a series of validated questionnaires to obtain demographic information and menstrual function of the respondents, and to investigate their menstrual manipulation habits and perceptions on how their period-related symptoms affected their well-being, mood, energy and training tolerance. More than 80% of the cyclists reported that their period-related symptoms impacted upon training and 41% made training adjustments based on these symptoms. Two-thirds of respondents thought their training should be phase-controlled yet only half discussed their hormonal cycles with their coaches. Menstrual manipulation was predicted by reduced "workout tolerance" in these cyclists (odds ratio = 0.632). Half of the respondents reported compromised ability to tolerate high-intensity interval training with period-related symptoms. Period pain, increased irritability, lower energy levels and more sugar cravings were commonly reported but did not predict menstrual manipulation. The data indicated that period-related symptoms are present in Australian female cyclists across all levels of participation. However, the perceived impact to training and subsequent behavioural changes varied among individuals.

Effects of In-Exercise Carbohydrate Supplementation on Prolonged High-Intensity Exercise Performance in Oral Contraceptive Users.

PURPOSE: To examine the impact of oral contraceptive (OC) phases on performance, physiological, and subjective responses to prolonged, intensive exercise when carbohydrate (CHO) stores are reduced. METHODS: Ten well-trained female cyclists using monophasic OC completed 4 identical trials (>150 min) under conditions of in-trial 60-g·h-1 CHO supplementation (CHO+) or placebo (CHO-) during the sugar- (SUG) and active-pill (ACT) phases of their OC cycle. Each trial comprised two 400-kcal time trials (TT) separated by 1 hour of submaximal cycling at first ventilatory threshold. RESULTS: Change in completion time from TT1 to TT2 was minimized in CHO+ compared with CHO- (4.06 [2.55] vs 6.08 [5.33] min; P = .019, effect size = -0.36). An interaction effect of OC and CHO was observed for time to complete TT (P = .006), mean TT power (P = .002), mean TT heart rate (P = .002), and posttrial emotional balance (P = .020) and negative emotional state (P = .033). In ACT, mean TT power and heart rate were higher in CHO+ when compared with CHO-, resulting in faster TTs in CHO+ and improved posttrial emotional well-being. When CHO was not supplemented, TT power and heart rate were higher in SUG when compared with ACT, resulting in faster TTs in SUG and improved posttrial emotional balance. CONCLUSION: CHO depletion during ACT negatively influenced TT performance and emotional well-being when compared with SUG. Irrespective of OC pill phase, CHO supplementation should be prioritized to sustain performance and improve postexercise recovery-stress balance.

Fatigue Resistance Is Altered during the High-Hormone Phase of Eumenorrheic Females but Not Oral Contraceptive Users.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to examine the effect of ovarian hormones and their synthetic equivalents on substrate utilization and fatigue resistance during a race-specific cycling protocol. METHODS: Seventeen well-trained female cyclists (nine eumenorrheic females, eight oral contraceptive users) completed two experimental trials, in a randomized order, in their low- (follicular/sugar pill) and high-hormone (luteal/active pill) phases. Each 91-min trial consisted of a 45-min moderate-intensity component (submaximal cycling, or SMC) followed by 6 min of high-intensity (HIT) and then a fatigue resistance test (FRT): 6 × 1-min all-out efforts with 1-min active recovery. Meals, comprising carbohydrate (CHO) intake of 8 g·kg -1 body mass, were standardized 24-h pretrial. An electrolyte-only solution was provided ad libitum during each trial. RESULTS: In eumenorrheic females, a large reduction in average power during FRT was observed in the luteal phase (277 ± 31 vs 287 ± 33 W; P = 0.032). Greater CHO ox (~ 4%, P = 0.020) during SMC and ventilatory inefficiencies during SMC and HIT (~7%, P < 0.001) were also observed in the luteal phase. In contraceptive users, despite some phasal changes in cardiorespiratory and metabolic data in SMC (~6% higher blood glucose and ~2% higher minute ventilation in active pill phase), none of the performance parameters in the FRT were different. CONCLUSIONS: Fatigue resistance was compromised only in high-hormone phase of the menstrual cycle, with eumenorrheic females likely susceptible because of increased CHO utilization during SMC. Hormone-induced ventilatory inefficiencies may also have increased metabolic demand. These findings emphasize the need to maintain CHO availability for power production, particularly in high-hormone phases.

Individual Differences and Transfer of Visual Anticipation in Expert Female Field Hockey Goalkeepers.

SIGNIFICANCE: Visual anticipation is vital for performance in several domains such as driving, military, and high-speed interceptive sports, as it enables performers to handle severe time constraints. There has been little investigation into individual differences of anticipation skill transfer within a domain, which can guide training of anticipation to improve performance. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate individual differences in the transfer of anticipation within a domain, specifically anticipation of the field hockey penalty corner drag-flick across different opponents. METHODS: Eight female Australian international and national field hockey goalkeepers participated. Goalkeepers completed female and male opponent penalty corner drag-flick temporal occlusion tests that presented contextual defensive runner positioning relative to the penalty spot, drag-flicker kinematics, and ball flight. RESULTS: Drag-flick movement time and ball velocity were significantly different across female and male opponents confirming that a transfer continuum existed. Five goalkeepers could transfer integration of runner contextual and drag-flicker kinematic information to anticipate loose runs above chance from female to male opponent tests. None of the goalkeepers could transfer integration of contextual and kinematic information for the tight runs across female to male opponents. CONCLUSIONS: An individual differences approach with truly expert performers provided unique insights into the mechanism of anticipation transfer within a domain. The findings of this study contribute to theoretical and applied knowledge, which can guide the training of anticipation skill to prepare individuals for superior performance.