Top

European Journal of Applied Physiology

Published in:

01-07-2017 | Original Article

Response of women using oral contraception to exercise in the heat

Authors: Clare Minahan, Marina Melnikoff, Karlee Quinn, Brianna Larsen

Published in: European Journal of Applied Physiology | Issue 7/2017

Abstract

Purpose

To compare the response of long-term oral contraceptive users (WomenOC; n = 8) to naturally menstruating women (WomenNM; n = 8) at rest and during exercise in temperate (TEMP; 22 °C) and hot (HEAT; 35 °C) conditions.

Methods

Participants performed a three-stage cycling trial in each condition at 90, 135, and 180% of lactate threshold 1 (total = 52.5 min). Heart rate (HR) and core temperature (T _c) were recorded continuously, whereas blood pressure (BP), ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), blood lactate [La⁻], and skin blood flow (BF_sk) were recorded every 7.5 min.

Results

Baseline T _c was higher in WomenOC (37.5 ± 0.2, 37.6 ± 0.3 °C) than WomenNM (37.2 ± 0.2, 37.0 ± 0.4 °C) before the TEMP (p = 0.03) and HEAT (p < 0.01) trials, respectively. This difference remained for 22.5 min into both trials (p ≤ 0.05), after which time no between-group differences were found (p > 0.05). BF_sk measured in WomenNM plateaued from 7.5 min in the HEAT, whereas BF_sk measured in WomenOC increased for 15.0 min (p = 0.02) before plateauing. There were no between-group differences in HR, BP, or blood [La⁻] before or throughout either trial (p > 0.05). WomenOC had higher (p ≤ 0.04) RPE values than WomenNM in the HEAT, reporting 8 ± 1 and 6 ± 2 at the end of Stage 3, respectively.

Conclusions

WomenOC concluded both trials with a comparable T _c to WomenNM, but had a prolonged BF_sk response and elevated RPE in the HEAT. Changes to BF_sk and RPE observed in women using OC may have implications for exercise tolerance in hot conditions.

Baker FC, Mitchell D, Driver HS (2001) Oral contraceptives alter sleep and raise body temperature in young women Pflügers. Archiv 442:729–737

Borg G (1998) Borg’s perceived exertion and pain scales. Human kinetics, Champaign

Burrows M, Peters CE (2007) The influence of oral contraceptives on athletic performance in female athletes. Sports Med 37:557–574CrossRefPubMed

Buxton C, Atkinson W (1948) Hormonal factors involved in the regulation of basal body temperature during the menstrual cycle and pregnancy. J Clin Endo Met 8:544–549CrossRef

Charkoudian N (2003) Skin blood flow in adult human thermoregulation: how it works, when it does not, and why. In: Mayo Clinic Proceedings, vol 5. Elsevier, pp 603–612

Charkoudian N (2010) Mechanisms and modifiers of reflex induced cutaneous vasodilation and vasoconstriction in humans. J Appl Physiol 109:1221–1228CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Charkoudian N, Johnson JM (1997) Modification of active cutaneous vasodilation by oral contraceptive hormones. J Appl Physiol 83:2012–2018PubMed

Charkoudian N, Johnson JM (1999) Reflex control of cutaneous vasoconstrictor system is reset by exogenous female reproductive hormones. J Appl Physiol 87:381–385PubMed

Charkoudian N, Johnson JM (2000) Female reproductive hormones and thermoregulatory control of skin blood flow. Exerc Sport Sci Rev 28:108–112PubMed

Charkoudian N, Stachenfeld N (2016) Sex hormone effects on autonomic mechanisms of thermoregulation in humans. Auton Neurosci 196:75–80CrossRefPubMed

Cheng B, Kuipers H, Snyder A, Keizer H, Jeukendrup A, Hesselink M (1992) A new approach for the determination of ventilatory and lactate thresholds. Int J Sports Med 13:518–522CrossRefPubMed

Cherney DZ et al (2007) The effect of oral contraceptives on the nitric oxide system and renal function. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 293:F1539–F1544CrossRefPubMed

Cheuvront S, Kenefick R, Montain S, Sawka M (2010) Mechanisms of aerobic performance impairment with heat stress and dehydration. J Appl Physiol 109:1989–1995CrossRefPubMed

Coyle EF (1999) Physiological determinants of endurance exercise performance. J Sci Med Sport 2:181–189CrossRefPubMed

Crewe H, Tucker R, Noakes TD (2008) The rate of increase in rating of perceived exertion predicts the duration of exercise to fatigue at a fixed power output in different environmental conditions. Eur J Appl Physiol 103:569–577CrossRefPubMed

Horvath S, Drinkwater B (1982) Thermoregulation and the menstrual cycle. Aviat Space Environ Med 53:790–794PubMed

Houghton BL, Holowatz LA, Minson CT (2005) Influence of progestin bioactivity on cutaneous vascular responses to passive heating. Med Sci Sports Exerc 37:45–51 (discussion 52) CrossRefPubMed

Kamon E, Pandolf K, Cafarelli E (1974) The relationship between perceptual information and physiological responses to exercise in the heat. J Hum Ergol (Tokyo) 3:45–54

Kolka MA, Stephenson LA (1997) Effect of luteal phase elevation in core temperature on forearm blood flow during exercise. J Appl Physiol 82:1079–1083PubMed

Lee S, Williams W, Schneider S (2000) Core temperature measurement during submaximal exercise: Esophageal, rectal, and intestinal temperatures. National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Lei TH, Stannard SR, Perry BG, Schlader ZJ, Cotter JD, Mündel T (2016) Influence of menstrual phase and arid vs. humid heat stress on autonomic and behavioural thermoregulation during exercise in trained but unacclimated women. J Physiol 595:2823–2837

Martin J, Buono M (1997) Oral contraceptives elevate core temperature and heart rate duringexercise in the heat. Clin Physiol 17:401–408CrossRefPubMed

Rechichi C, Dawson B, Goodman C (2009) Athletic performance and the oral contraceptive. Int J Sports Physiol Perform 4:151–162CrossRefPubMed

Rogers S, Baker M (1996) Thermoregulation during exercise in women who are taking oral contraceptives. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol 75:34–38CrossRef

Stachenfeld NS, Silva C, Keefe DL (2000) Estrogen modifies the temperature effects of progesterone. J Appl Physiol 88:1643–1649PubMed

Stephens DP, Bennett LAT, Aoki K, Kosiba WA, Charkoudian N, Johnson JM (2002) Sympathetic nonnoradrenergic cutaneous vasoconstriction in women is associated with reproductive hormone status. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 282:H264–H272PubMed

Stephenson L, Kolka MA (1985) Menstrual cycle phase and time of day alter reference signal controlling arm blood flow and sweating. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 249:R186–R191

Sunderland C, Nevill M (2003) Effect of the menstrual cycle on performance of intermittent, high-intensity shuttle running in a hot environment. Eur J Appl Physiol 88:345–352CrossRefPubMed

Tenaglia SA, McLellan TM, Klentrou PP (1999) Influence of menstrual cycle and oral contraceptives on tolerance to uncompensable heat stress. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol 80:76–83CrossRefPubMed

Wendt D, van Loon L (2007) Thermoregulation during exercise in the heat: strategies for maintaining health and performance. Sports Med 37:669–682CrossRefPubMed

Title: Response of women using oral contraception to exercise in the heat
Authors: Clare Minahan
Marina Melnikoff
Karlee Quinn
Brianna Larsen
Publication date: 01-07-2017
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: European Journal of Applied Physiology / Issue 7/2017
Print ISSN: 1439-6319
Electronic ISSN: 1439-6327
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-017-3628-7

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Response of women using oral contraception to exercise in the heat

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 7/2017

Reply to: Could superimposed electromyostimulation be an effective training to improve aerobic and anaerobic capacity? Methodological considerations for its development

A tale of three cuffs: the hemodynamics of blood flow restriction

Electromyographic evaluation of high-intensity elastic resistance exercises for lower extremity muscles during bed rest

Sexual dimorphism in heart rate recovery from peak exercise

Response to comments on “High-intensity aerobic interval training improves aerobic fitness and HbA1c among persons diagnosed with type 2 diabetes”

Chronic eccentric arm cycling improves maximum upper-body strength and power