How does the menstrual cycle affect gastrointestinal symptoms during exercise?🩸
Do you need to adapt nutritional intake?
The Effects of Menstrual Cycle Phase on Gastrointestinal Responses to a Simulated Football Match
Study Details
This new study recruited 12 eumenorrheic females to complete 2 x 45-min bouts of a simulated football match on a treadmill ⚽️
Simulations were completed in…
1️⃣ Phase 1 (P1, days 1-5)
4️⃣ Phase 4 (P4, 6-8 days following a positive ovulation test)
…of their menstrual cycles.
GI discomfort was recorded every 15 min during, at half-time, full-time and at rest 🔍
Key Findings
📈 Global GI discomfort was 65% greater in P1 vs P4
📝 Total GI symptom score was greater in P1 than P4 at rest and at full-time
🩸 A biomarker of intestinal damage (CLDN-3) was greater in P1 vs P4 at rest and 60-min post-simulation
❌ Other biomarkers were not different between cycle phases
Conclusion
Female athletes may experience higher levels of gastrointestinal discomfort during exercise (and at rest) in the first phase of their menstrual cycle 🩸
Awareness of this finding could help athletes and practitioners tailor fuelling strategies to alleviate symptoms ✅
Reference
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41824962/
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