Medicine and science in sports and exercise
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Med Sci Sports Exerc · Nov 2012
Exercise performance over the menstrual cycle in temperate and hot, humid conditions.
This study investigated the effects of the menstrual cycle on prolonged exercise performance both in temperate (20°C, 45% relative humidity) and hot, humid (32°C, 60% relative humidity) conditions. ⋯ In temperate conditions, no changes in prolonged exercise performance were found over the menstrual cycle, whereas in hot, humid conditions, performance was decreased during the luteal phase. The combination of both exercise and heat stress with the elevated luteal phase Tc at the onset of exercise resulted in physiological and perceptual changes and a greater thermosensitivity, which may explain the decrease in performance.