Assessment of Skeletal Muscle Strength, Fatigue and Respiratory Efficiency in Young Healthy Females during Different Phases of Menstrual Cycle

Abstract

Introduction. Physiological functions of women are different from men. Though the muscle strength of women is lesser than in men, their engagement in sports is markedly increased and is equal to man nowadays. Females are more prone for sports related injuries compared to males [1]. Young females have lot of restrictions in developing countries like India for participation in sports [2]. Fluctuating levels of sex steroids affect the sensory-motor association in females [3]. Fluctuating levels of sex steroids during menstrual cycle can affect the performance of woman both physically and psychologically. Ability to perform physical exercise largely depends on respiratory efficiency as it requires more amount of oxygen for utilization. The changes in skeletal muscle performance have been expected as a consequence of alteration in autonomic reactivity and metabolism during menstrual cycle [4]. With increase in participation of women in competitive sports, many studies have been conducted to learn the effect of female sex hormones on muscle strength and respiratory efficiency along the different phases of menstrual cycle [5, 6]. Menstrual cycle has appeared to have significant effect on pulmonary function test parameters. Cyclical endocrine profile of females do have a correlation with bronchial hyperreactivity, bronchial asthma related hospital admissions [7]. Different studies have showed varied results [8]. Because of the existing of controversies and lack of such studies in non-athletic females of our locality this theme of the study has been chosen. Aim. This study has been aimed at assessing of the muscle strength, time of fatigue and respiratory efficiency during different phases of menstrual cycle in non-athletic healthy females of our locality. Objectives. 1. To assess and compare the muscle strength and time of fatigue during premenstrual and proliferative phase of menstrual cycle. 2. To assess and compare respiratory blast test and respiratory endurance during premenstrual and proliferative phase of menstrual cycle. Materials and methods. After getting the institutional ethical committee clearance, this observational study has been conducted in the department of Physiology, Sri Venkateshwaraa medical college hospital and research centre. Fifty young healthy non-athletic female subjects aged 20-30 years, with history of regular menstruation have been selected. All the participants have had normal BMI (18-25 kg/m 2).

The human health problems of authorized agricultural pesticides: The Algerian case

“…Moreover, according to Slotkin (2004), the organophosphates have additional effects on brain development that may overshadow their cholinergic component. In addition, Priyadharshini et al (2017) found in their study that chronic exposure to organophosphate pesticides do affect the cardio respiratory system among farmers. About neonicotinoids, environmental exposure may lead to typical cardiovascular and nervous symptoms (Taira 2014).…”