The fluctuating concentrations of female sex hormones, namely estrogen and progesterone may have an effect on the ability of the tissue to withstand challenging exercise conditions, such as eccentric exercise. These sex hormones have also been purported to influence the perceived difficulty of exercise. This study aims to uncover how the different estrogen and progesterone concentrations present throughout the menstrual cycle effect perceived readiness to perform, perceptions of difficulty, and different recovery metrics.
18-35 years of age
BMI of 18.5-29.9 as a BMI below or above these cut points results in highly varied menstrual cycle lengths [15]
Not taking contraception or other types of medication that could influence reproductive status
Regular menstruation
Amenorrhea or oligomenorrhea
Perimenopausal or menopausal
Recreational or professional trail or downhill runner
On a form of contraception
Parallel
Eccentric leg extension
BehavioralParticipants will complete a 10 x 10 eccentric leg extension on a Cybex Norm dynamometer. Upon arrival, participants will be asked their perceived readiness to perform on a 11 point numeric rating scale. Before the running protocol a baseline blood sample will be collected, as well as passive and active delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), a countermovement jump. Half way through each set (i.e., after the 5th repetition) participants will be asked to rank their level of difficulty on a 11 point OMNI Res scale. This will occur during each set. Participants will have follow up blood draws, measures of muscle function (i.e, jump height) and soreness measured immediately after and 24 and 48 hours post-exercise.
Preparedness to perform
Perceived readiness will be measured on an 11 point numeric rating scale (NRS) with 0 being not ready at all, and 10 being most prepared
Rating of difficulty
Perceived difficulty will be measured on a 11 point numeric rating scale called the OMNI res throughout the duration of exercise.
Inflammatory markers
Inflammatory markers (IL-6, IL-8, TNF-alpha, and IL-10) will be measured in blood serum to understand how the concentration of estrogen changes the inflammatory response to damaging exercise.
Counter movement jump height
A countermovement jump (CMJ) will be performed on VALD ForceDecks to determine muscle function overtime.
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