Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage During the Menstrual Cycle: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Level 1 - systematic review of randomized trials
Systematic review and meta-analysis of intervention and observational studies
PubMed 33201156 · doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000003878
What was done
A PRISMA-compliant systematic review and meta-analysis of 19 articles investigating exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) across menstrual cycle phases in eumenorrheic women. Outcomes evaluated pre- and post-strenuous exercise included delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), strength loss, and creatine kinase in at least one of three phases: early follicular phase (EFP), late follicular phase (LFP), or midluteal phase (MLP).
What was found
Differences were observed between menstrual cycle phases for DOMS and strength loss (p < 0.05), but not for creatine kinase. Maximum mean differences between pre-exercise and post-exercise were: - DOMS: EFP 6.57 (95% CI: 4.42, 8.71), LFP 5.37 (95% CI: 2.10, 8.63), and MLP 3.08 (95% CI: 2.22, 3.95). - Strength loss: EFP -3.46 (95% CI: -4.95, -1.98), LFP -1.63 (95% CI: -2.36, -0.89), and MLP -0.72 (95% CI: -1.07, -0.36) (p < 0.001).
Why it matters
This review indicates that post-exercise muscle soreness and strength loss are most pronounced in the early follicular phase when sex hormone concentrations are low, and lowest in the midluteal phase. These findings provide an empirical basis for periodizing recovery periods and training loads across the menstrual cycle.
Limits
The abstract does not state the total participant sample size, participant training status, specific exercise modalities, or measures of study heterogeneity. The results apply strictly to naturally cycling eumenorrheic women and cannot be generalized to users of hormonal contraceptives.
Cited by
- context Women generally experience less exercise-induced muscle soreness than men, which may be related to estrogen.