Oral contraceptive cycle phase does not affect 200-m swim time trial performance.

The purpose of this study was to examine whether swimming performance was affected by acute hormonal fluctuation within a monophasic oral contraceptive (OC) cycle. Six competitive swimmers and water polo players completed a 200-m time trial at 3 time points of a single OC cycle: during the consumption phase (CONS), early (WITH1), and late in the withdrawal phase (WITH2). Split times and stroke rate were recorded during the time trial, and heart rate, blood lactate, glucose, and pH were measured after each performance test. Resting endogenous serum estradiol and progesterone concentrations were also assessed. No significant differences were observed between phases for body composition, 200-m swim time, mean stroke rate, peak heart rate, or blood glucose (p > 0.05). The mean peak blood lactate was significantly lower during WITH2 (9.9 ± 3.0 mmol·L(-1)) compared with that of CONS (12.5 ± 3.0 mmol·L(-1)) and mean pH higher during WITH2 (7.183 ± 0.111) compared with that of CONS (7.144 ± 0.092). Serum estradiol levels were significantly greater during WITH2 compared with that during WITH1 and CONS, but there was no difference in serum progesterone levels. These results demonstrate that for monophasic OC users, cycle phase does not impact the 200-m swimming performance. There was a reduction in blood lactate and an increase in pH during the withdrawal phase, possibly because of an increase in fluid retention, plasma volume, and cellular alkalosis. Therefore, female 200-m swimmers taking a monophasic OC need not be concerned by the phase of their cycle with regard to competition and optimizing performance. However, coaches and scientists should exercise caution when interpreting blood lactate results obtained from swimming tests and consider controlling for cycle phase for athletes taking an OC.

Athletic performance and the oral contraceptive.

Some reports suggest variation in physiological responses and athletic performance, for female athletes at specific phases of the menstrual cycle. However, inconsistent findings are common due to the inappropriate verification of menstrual cycle phase, small subject numbers, high intra- and interindividual variability in estrogen and progesterone concentration, and the pulsatile secretion of these hormones. Therefore, the oral contraceptive (OC) cycle may provide a more stable environment in which to evaluate the acute effect of reproductive hormones on physiological variables and exercise performance. To date, most of the OC research has compared differences between OC use and nonuse, and few researchers have examined within-cycle effects of the OC. It is also apparent that OC use is becoming far more prevalent in athletes; hence the effect of the different exogenous and endogenous hormonal profiles on athletic performance should be investigated. Research to date identifies potential for variation in aerobic performance, anaerobic capacity, anaerobic power and reactive strength throughout an OC cycle. The purpose of this review is to present and evaluate the current literature on the physiology of exercise and athletic performance during the OC cycle.

Effect of oral contraceptive cycle phase on performance in team sport players.

The purpose of this study was to examine whether common team sport performance variables (anaerobic power, reactive strength and repeat sprint ability) are affected by acute hormonal fluctuation within a monophasic oral contraceptive (OC) cycle. Ten female team sport athletes completed performance tests at three time points of a single OC cycle, during the consumption phase (CONS), early (WITH1) and late in the withdrawal phase (WITH2). Tests included drop jumps (30cm and 45cm heights), a counter movement jump, a 10s cycle sprint test and a 5x 6s repeated sprint cycle test. Resting endogenous serum oestradiol and progesterone concentrations were also measured. No significant differences were observed between phases for the counter movement jump and cycle tests (total work and peak power). Reactive strength measured from the 30cm drop height was significantly lower during WITH2 (162+/-38cms(-1)) compared to both CONS (177+/-44cms(-1)) and WITH1 (178+/-40cms(-1)) (p<0.05). Reactive strength measured from the 45cm drop height was significantly higher in CONS (178+/-48cms(-1)) compared to both WITH1 and WITH2 (161+/-39cms(-1) and 158+/-29cms(-1), respectively) (p<0.05). Serum oestradiol levels were greater during WITH2 compared to both WITH1 and CONS (p<0.05) but there was no difference in serum progesterone levels. The results demonstrate that for female team sport athletes, only reactive strength varied significantly throughout an OC cycle, possibly due to the action of hormones on neuromuscular timing and the stretch-shortening cycle.

Time-motion analysis of elite field hockey, with special reference to repeated-sprint activity.

Limited information exists about the movement patterns of field-hockey players, especially during elite competition. Time-motion analysis was used to document the movement patterns during an international field-hockey game. In addition, the movement patterns of repeated-sprint activity were investigated, as repeated-sprint ability is considered to be an important fitness component of team-sport performance. Fourteen members of the Australian men's field-hockey team (age 26+/-3 years, body mass 76.7+/-5.6 kg, VO2max 57.9+/-3.6 ml.kg(-1).min(-1); mean+/-s) were filmed during an international game and their movement patterns were analysed. The majority of the total player game time was spent in the low-intensity motions of walking, jogging and standing (46.5+/-8.1, 40.5+/-7.0 and 7.4+/-0.9%, respectively). In comparison, the proportions of time spent in striding and sprinting were 4.1+/-1.1 and 1.5+/-0.6%, respectively. Our criteria for 'repeated-sprint' activity (defined as a minimum of three sprints, with mean recovery duration between sprints of less than 21 s) was met on 17 occasions during the game (total for all players), with a mean 4+/-1 sprints per bout. On average, 95% of the recovery during the repeated-sprint bouts was of an active nature. In summary, the results suggest that the motion activities of an elite field-hockey competition are similar to those of elite soccer, rugby and Australian Rules football. In addition, the investigation of repeated-sprint activity during competition has provided additional information about the unique physiological demands of elite field-hockey performance.