Abstract
Purpose
This study aimed to investigate the effect of fluctuating female hormones during the menstrual cycle (MC) and oral contraceptive (OC) cycle on different measures of body composition.
Methods
Twenty-two women with a natural MC and thirty women currently taking combined monophasic OC were assessed over three phases of the menstrual or oral contraceptive cycle. Body weight, skinfolds, bioelectric impedance analysis (BIA), ultrasound, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) measurements were performed to assess body composition. Urine specific gravity (USG) was measured as an indication of hydration, and serum oestradiol and progesterone were measured to confirm cycle phases.
Results
Five participants with a natural MC were excluded based on the hormone analysis. For the remaining participants, no significant changes over the MC and OC cycle were found for body weight, USG, skinfolds, BIA, ultrasound and pQCT measures. However, DXA body fat percentage and fat mass were lower in the late follicular phase compared to the mid-luteal phase of the MC, while for the OC cycle, DXA body fat percentage was higher and lean mass lower in the early hormone phase compared with the late hormone phase.
Conclusion
Our findings suggest that assessment of body fat percentage through BIA and skinfolds may be performed without considering the MC or OC cycle. Body adiposity assessment via DXA, however, may be affected by female hormone fluctuations and therefore, it may be advisable to perform repeat testing using DXA during the same phase of the MC or OC cycle.
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Data availability statement
The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to privacy or ethical restrictions.
Abbreviations
- ANOVA:
-
Analysis of variance
- BIA:
-
Bioelectrical impedance analysis
- CSA:
-
Cross-sectional area
- CV:
-
Coefficient of variation
- DXA:
-
Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry
- ICC:
-
Intraclass correlation coefficient
- ISAK:
-
International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry
- LH:
-
Luteinizing hormone
- MC:
-
Menstrual cycle
- NHANES:
-
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
- OC:
-
Oral contraceptives
- pQCT:
-
Peripheral quantitative computed tomography
- USG:
-
Urine specific gravity
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This research was supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarship.
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BT and XJ conceived and designed the research. BT, XJ, HH, DS and LBM conducted the research. BT wrote the manuscript. All authors read and approved the manuscript.
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Thompson, B.M., Hillebrandt, H.L., Sculley, D.V. et al. The acute effect of the menstrual cycle and oral contraceptive cycle on measures of body composition. Eur J Appl Physiol 121, 3051–3059 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-021-04771-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-021-04771-9