The menstrual cycle is one of the main differences to take into account when training and programming muscle hypertrophy training in women. The changes during this menstrual cycle will be different in those women who do not use oral contraceptives and those who do. can affect the use of oral contraceptives to strength gains and muscle mass in women?
Menstrual cycle and strength training
Studies in young women have started to grow relatively few years ago. Until then, research on muscle strength and mass was carried out almost exclusively on samples of the male population.
The effects of oral contraceptive use over strength training are unclear, but we do know that female hormones can affect strength training. More research is needed in this area, especially to address the effect of different types of oral contraceptives.
The workouts in follicular phase seem to give better responses than training in the luteal phase, both day-to-day and long-term. However, with the use of oral contraceptives, hormonal behavior is modified and this could alter the characteristics of each phase of the menstrual cycle.
Brief description of the menstrual cycle and its relation to muscle strength and hypertrophy
The hormones estrogen and progesterone They are the main ones that we must take into account when talking about performance in women. These two hormones fluctuate throughout the menstrual cycle, being able to influence strength performance, and with it muscle hypertrophy.
They arise like this three main phases in the menstrual cycle: the early follicular phase (from the start of bleeding to ovulation); the ovulatory phase (right in the middle of the menstrual cycle); and the luteal phase (from when ovulation ends until bleeding arrives).
The follicular phase, eliminating the first days of bleeding, is the phase where performance seems to be better, especially in high-intensity strength or endurance work. The ovulatory phase is transitional and remains a proper environment for intense training. The luteal phase worsens as we approach bleeding again.
We can see how estrogen and progesterone levels influence muscle strength in menopausal women who decrease the levels of these hormones and also muscle strength. An estrogen hormone replacement can reverse this decrease in strength caused by the decrease in this hormone in menopausal women.
However, the oral contraceptives disrupt the normal functioning of the hormones estrogen and progesterone, and in others related to the menstrual cycle. There are different types, with monophasic oral contraceptives being the most prescribed.
High estrogen and low progesterone
The hormonal environment conducive to increased muscle mass is when estrogens are elevated and progesterone is at its lowest point. This occurs in the follicular phase, and that is why we are interested in introducing the heaviest and most intense training in this phase of the menstrual cycle.
In the luteal phase, the opposite occurs, with greater amino acid oxidation and protein degradation. That scenario is contrary to what we are looking for when we want to increase muscle mass: protein synthesis over protein degradation.
Being very reductionist and to see it very clearly: progesterone increases catabolism (destruction of muscle – luteal phase) and estrogens promote anabolism (muscle building – follicular phase).
In any case the important thing is to train at any time of the menstrual cycle, without worrying too much about the phase we are in. If we have a coach who schedules the training for us, it can be a point in his favor and yours to take into account the phases of the menstrual cycle, as long as you have a high athletic level. If we have only been training for a short time, we should focus on other things first.
Do oral contraceptives affect strength performance and muscle hypertrophy?
We have already seen briefly what the phases of the menstrual cycle are and why they can affect muscle hypertrophy. All of the above occur in a menstrual cycle without oral contraceptives, but when we ingest these contraceptives, all concepts are modified discussed so far.
A very comprehensive review published in the prestigious Sports Medicine investigate How can oral contraceptives affect to resistance exercise responses in women of reproductive age.
Effects of oral contraceptives on muscle hypertrophy
In some studies we can observe how the growth hormone increased in those women who used triphasic oral contraceptives, than in those who did not take contraceptives.
However, there are no conclusive results that can affirm whether strength training, and its immediate adaptations related to muscle hypertrophy, are older or younger using oral contraceptives.
The conflicting findings may be due to the timing of the tests, which makes everything vary wildly. Also to the interpersonal differencesince there are women who hardly notice the phase of the menstrual cycle in which they are and others who accuse it much more.
The different types of oral contraceptives also do not help to clarify whether the use of these drugs has any effect on muscle hypertrophy. Therefore, there is no consensus on whether the use of oral contraceptives helps or limits muscle hypertrophy compared to women who do not take such contraceptives.
Practical application to take us home
What we can highlight is that the follicular phase (especially from when bleeding is ending until ovulation) It is an ideal environment to train strength, increase muscle mass and recover faster than in the luteal phase.
In this middle and late follicular phase, the higher concentrations of endogenous estrogen (our body produces it, regardless of the ingestion of oral contraceptives).
That hormonal scenario results in a increased growth hormone response, less muscle damage, greater potential for muscle strength and better regeneration than in the luteal phase.
missing evidence to see if the variation in estrogen and progesterone that occurs with the use of oral contraceptives contributes in any way to improving or worsening muscle strength and hypertrophy.
The lack of consensus is due to the heterogeneity in the studies, the differences between each menstrual cycle of each woman and the different types of existing oral contraceptives.
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