Eccentric Exercise, Muscle Damage, and Oxygen Uptake Across Menstrual Cycle Phases

NCT07581067 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 1723/19-12-2024
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 12
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The existing literature examining the effect of female sex hormones across the phases of the menstrual cycle on muscle microdamage and oxygen uptake is limited. The protective role of estrogens against muscle microdamage is supported by findings from some studies; however, it is questioned by others. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of eccentric exercise on biomarkers of muscle microdamage and on oxygen uptake during two phases of the menstrual cycle in healthy premenopausal women.

Conditions

Menstrual Cycle; Exercise Performance Impairment

Keywords

Eccentric exercise; Exercise induced muscle damage

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• Maximal isometric torque

  maximal performance during 5 sec isometric knee extensors contraction, assessed pre and 48 h post eccentric exercise

  From enrollment to the end of the intervention at 2 weeks

• Delayed onset muscle soreness

  Palpation of the muscle belly, performed pre and 48h post eccentric exercise

  From enrollment to the end of intervention at 2 weeks

• Oxygen consumption

  During the isokinetic eccentric exercise, participants were attached to a gas analyser for continuously measuring oxygen consumption.

  From enrollment to the end of the intervention at 2 weeks

• Duration of the isokinetic exercise

  The total duration of exercise performed on the isokinetic dynamometer was recorded

  From enrollment to the end of intervention at 2 weeks

Study Arms (1)

Eccentric exercise

EXPERIMENTAL

A group of female subjects performed an exercise with one leg and an exercise with the other leg, separated by 2 weeks. Before and 2 days after the exercise sessions, performance was assessed.

Other: Isokinetic eccentric exercise using knee extensors of the right lower limb; Other: Isokinetic eccentric exercise using knee extensors of the left lower limb

Interventions

Isokinetic eccentric exercise using knee extensors of the left lower limb OTHER

Isokinetic eccentric exercise consisted of 10 min at 40% of maximal voluntary contractions, followed by 2 min maximal intensity muscle effort

Eccentric exercise

Isokinetic eccentric exercise using knee extensors of the right lower limb OTHER

Isokinetic eccentric exercise consisted of 10 min at 40% of maximal voluntary contractions, followed by 2 min maximal intensity muscle effort

Eccentric exercise

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 28 Years
• Gender Eligibility Details: Females with normal menstrual cycle
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• No known medical history
• Not receiving any medication or dietary supplementation.
• Stable menstrual cycle

You may not qualify if:

• Pathological conditions the last month before enrolment in the study
• Low limb injury the past 4 months
• Unstable menstrual cycle

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National and Kapodistrian University of Athens: lead

Study Sites (1)

Department of Physical Educaiton and Sport Science

Dafni, Attica, 17234, Greece

Location

Study Officials

• Vassilis Paschalis, PhD

  National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 6, 2026
• First Posted: May 12, 2026
• Study Start: May 15, 2025
• Primary Completion: August 5, 2025
• Study Completion: January 22, 2026
• Last Updated: May 15, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-05

Locations

GR (1)