Menstrual cycle and thermoregulation during exercise in the heat: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Giersch, Gabrielle E.W.; Morrissey, Margaret C.; Katch, Rachel K.; Colburn, Abigail T.; Sims, Stacy T.; Stachenfeld, Nina S.; Casa, Douglas J.

doi:10.1016/j.jsams.2020.05.014

Cited by 37 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 28 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…A review of just three sports medicine journals from 2011 to 2013 found that women accounted for only 39% of the research participants [31]. Similarly, despite growing sport [28] and workplace participation rates [25][26][27] and the need for a greater evidence-based understanding of women's heat stress tolerance [18,38], women continue to be underrepresented in exercise thermoregulation research-both as participants in studies and as the specific subject of scientific inquiry Table 2 The number of participants total and each group (women only, men only, sex aggregated studies (both)) annually from 2010 to 2019. Percentage relative to the total of each group also presented by year Fig.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Multiple recent works have failed to reveal any large effects of the menstrual cycle on heat dissipation during exercise tasks [18][19][20]. However, given limited data availability and the poor validity of some previous studies [18], the certainty of this conclusion is not without reservation. Thus, it remains undetermined if sex-based differences relating to the sudomotor function and the menstrual cycle make women more susceptible to performance deficits in the heat [21][22][23].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…As the concentrations of reproductive hormones shift, so too does core temperature, along with modifications to the onset thresholds and sensitivity of autonomic heat loss responses [15][16][17]. Multiple recent works have failed to reveal any large effects of the menstrual cycle on heat dissipation during exercise tasks [18][19][20]. However, given limited data availability and the poor validity of some previous studies [18], the certainty of this conclusion is not without reservation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Female (Under) Representation in Exercise Thermoregulation Research

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Despite an increasing rate of women participating in professional sports, emergency services, and military settings where they are exposed to exertional heat stress, our understanding of female thermoregulation and the detrimental effects of heat on women’s performance, especially regarding the menstrual cycle, is limited. This review aimed to quantify the representation of women in exercise thermoregulation research between 2010 and 2019 and the frequency that these articles reported details pertaining to female participants’ menstrual cycle to determine the volume of novel research that is directly relevant to this growing population. Methods Original exercise thermoregulatory studies published in three major sports medicine databases (PubMed, MEDLINE, and SPORTDiscus) between 2010 and 2019 were surveyed. Articles were screened to determine the number of female and male participants in the study and whether studies involving women reported menstrual orientation or phase. Research involving healthy adult participants and an exercise protocol with a thermoregulatory outcome measure were included in the review. Results A total of 1407 articles were included in the review, involving 28,030 participants. The annual representation of women ranged from a mean of 11.6% [95% credible interval (CI); 9.2, 14.3] to 17.8% [95% CI; 15.2, 20.6] across the 10 years, indicating studies predominantly included men. Nonetheless, there was a small statistical increase in the overall proportion of women, with a mean overall proportion change of 0.7% [95% CI; 0.2, 1.2] per year. The increase appeared to be driven by a reduction in the number of studies including only men, rather than studies including more women alongside men, or increased women-only studies. Less than one third of articles involving women reported the menstrual orientation of participants and less than one quarter reported both menstrual orientation and phase. Summary/Conclusion This study shows that women were proportionally underrepresented in exercise thermoregulation research during the past decade and the majority of studies did not report menstrual cycle details of female participants. Researchers should consider including women in future work where their inclusion could contribute meaningful data that enhance the evidence-based and ultimately improves our comprehension of women’s thermal physiology.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Female (Under) Representation in Exercise Thermoregulation Research

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…However, the temporal correlation between asthma symptoms and steroid levels does not provide a simple answer to whether estrogen and/or progesterone improve or worsen asthma. The female sex steroid hormones could affect exercise capacity and performance through numerous psychologic mechanisms, including substrate metabolism, cardiorespiratory function, and thermoregulation [105][106][107]. Thus, hormone level changes may lead to either improved or decreased performance at various times throughout the menstrual cycle [108,109].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sex Differences in Exercise Induced Bronchoconstriction in Athletes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Bauza

Silveyra

2020

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Exercise induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) is a common complication of athletes and individuals who exercise regularly. It is estimated that about 90% of patients with underlying asthma experience EIB. Sex differences in the prevalence of asthma have been widely reported, with higher rates in boys vs. girls before puberty, and higher rates in women than men after puberty. Because atopy has been reported to occur at higher rates in athletes than in non-athletes, in this study we investigated sex differences in EIB and atopy in athletes. A systematic literature review identified 60 studies evaluating EIB and/or atopy in post-pubertal adult athletes (n=7501). Collectively, these studies reported: 1) a 23% prevalence of EIB in athletes; 2) a higher prevalence of atopy in male athletes vs. females; 3) a higher prevalence of atopy in athletes with EIB; and 4) a significantly higher rate of atopic EIB in male vs. female athletes. Our analysis indicates that the physiological changes that occur during exercise may differentially affect male and female athletes, and suggest an interaction between male sex, exercise, and atopic status in the course of EIB. Understanding these sex differences is important to provide personalized management plans to athletes with underlying asthma and/or atopy.

show abstract

“…However, the temporal correlation between asthma symptoms and steroid levels does not provide a simple answer as to whether estrogen and/or progesterone improve or worsen asthma. Female sex steroid hormones could affect exercise capacity and performance through numerous psychologic mechanisms, including substrate metabolism, cardiorespiratory function, and thermoregulation [ 103 , 104 , 105 , 106 ]. Thus, hormone level changes may lead to either improved or decreased performance at various times throughout the menstrual cycle [ 107 , 108 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sex Differences in Exercise-Induced Bronchoconstriction in Athletes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Bauza

Silveyra

2020

IJERPH

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) is a common complication of athletes and individuals who exercise regularly. It is estimated that about 90% of patients with underlying asthma (a sexually dimorphic disease) experience EIB; however, sex differences in EIB have not been studied extensively. With the goal of better understanding the prevalence of EIB in males and females, and because atopy has been reported to occur at higher rates in athletes, in this study, we investigated sex differences in EIB and atopy in athletes. A systematic literature review identified 60 studies evaluating EIB and/or atopy in post-pubertal adult athletes (n = 7501). Collectively, these studies reported: (1) a 23% prevalence of EIB in athletes; (2) a higher prevalence of atopy in male vs. female athletes; (3) a higher prevalence of atopy in athletes with EIB; (4) a significantly higher rate of atopic EIB in male vs. female athletes. Our analysis indicates that the physiological changes that occur during exercise may differentially affect male and female athletes, and suggest an interaction between male sex, exercise, and atopic status in the course of EIB. Understanding these sex differences is important to provide personalized management plans to athletes with underlying asthma and/or atopy.

show abstract

Menstrual cycle and thermoregulation during exercise in the heat: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Cited by 37 publications

References 28 publications

Female (Under) Representation in Exercise Thermoregulation Research

Female (Under) Representation in Exercise Thermoregulation Research

Sex Differences in Exercise Induced Bronchoconstriction in Athletes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Sex Differences in Exercise-Induced Bronchoconstriction in Athletes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About