Document Type

Article

Language

eng

Publication Date

6-2019

Publisher

American Physiological Society

Source Publication

Journal of Applied Physiology

Source ISSN

8750-7587

Abstract

Sex hormone concentrations of eumenorrheic women typically fluctuate across the menstrual cycle and can affect neural function such that estrogen has neuroexcitatory effects, and progesterone induces inhibition. However, the effects of these changes on corticospinal and intracortical circuitry and the motor performance of the knee extensors are unknown. The present two-part investigation aimed to 1) determine the measurement error of an exercise task, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)-, and motor nerve stimulation (MNS)-derived responses in women ingesting a monophasic oral contraceptive pill (hormonally-constant) and 2) investigate whether these measures were modulated by menstrual cycle phase (MCP), by examining them before and after an intermittent isometric fatiguing task (60% of maximal voluntary contraction, MVC) with the knee extensors until task failure in eumenorrheic women on days 2, 14, and 21 of the menstrual cycle. The repeatability of neuromuscular measures at baseline and fatigability ranged between moderate and excellent in women taking the oral contraceptive pill. MVC was not affected by MCP (P = 0.790). Voluntary activation (MNS and TMS) peaked on day 14 (P = 0.007 and 0.008, respectively). Whereas corticospinal excitability was unchanged, short-interval intracortical inhibition was greatest on day 21 compared with days 14 and 2 (P < 0.001). Additionally, time to task failure was longer on day 21 than on both days 14 and 2 (24 and 36%, respectively, P = 0.030). The observed changes were larger than the associated measurement errors. These data demonstrate that neuromuscular function and fatigability of the knee extensors vary across the menstrual cycle and may influence exercise performance involving locomotor muscles.

Comments

Accepted version. Journal of Applied Physiology, Vol. 126 No. 6 (June 2019): 1701-1712. DOI. © 2019 American Physiological Society. Used with permission.

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