Abstract:

Women are increasingly engaged in sports training and, for this reason, some gaps need to be filled for adequate planning, thus respecting their individuality. A variable to be analyzed is the menstrual cycle, which may influence the performance of these women, due to the hormonal changes that occur in each phase (follicular, ovulatory, luteal). The following study sought to assess the possible effects of different phases of the menstrual cycle on muscle strength and power. Nine women participated in this research, all familiarized with resistance training, with a mean age of 24.44 ± 6.56 (years), mean body mass 60.72 ± 6.14 (kg) who were not using oral or injectable, in addition to having a regular menstrual cycle. All were submitted to anamnesis, anthropometric evaluation, maximum repetition test (1RM), maximum isometric voluntary contraction test (MVIC) and muscle power analysis, with collections performed according to the phases of the menstrual cycle. Descriptive statistical analysis was used, in addition to the One Way anova test with Tuckey's post hock for parametric distribution and t test for paired samples. The results of the present study indicated that there were significant differences in muscle power during the ovulatory phase, when compared to the follicular and luteal phases, without any significant changes in muscle strength. It is concluded that hormonal changes resulting from the menstrual cycle can cause changes in neuromuscular performance and this should be taken into account when prescribing training.

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