Cited by 812Sports Performance and TrainingCardiovascular and exercise physiologyMenstrual Health and Disorders

The Effects of Menstrual Cycle Phase on Exercise Performance in Eumenorrheic Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

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McNulty, Kelly Lee, Elliott-Sale, Kirsty Jayne, Dolan, Eimear, Swinton, Paul Alan, Ansdell, Paul, Goodall, Stuart, Thomas, Kevin, Hicks, Kirsty Marie·2020·Sports Medicine

Abstract

Background: Concentrations of endogenous sex hormones fluctuate across the menstrual cycle (MC), which could have implications for exercise performance in women. At present, data are conflicting, with no consensus on whether exercise performance is affected by MC phase. Objective: To determine the effects of the MC on exercise performance and provide evidence-based, practical, performance recommendations to eumenorrheic women. Methods: This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Four databases were searched for published experimental studies that investigated the effects of the MC on exercise performance, which included at least one outcome measure taken in two or more defined MC phases. All data were meta-analysed using multilevel models grounded in Bayesian principles. The initial meta-analysis pooled pairwise effect sizes comparing exercise performance during the early follicular phase with all other phases (late follicular, ovulation, early luteal, mid-luteal and late luteal) amalgamated. A more comprehensive analysis was then conducted, comparing exercise performance between all phases with direct and indirect pairwise effect sizes through a network meta-analysis. Results from the network meta-analysis were summarised by calculating the Surface Under the Cumulative Ranking curve (SUCRA). Study quality was assessed using a modified Downs and Black checklist and a strategy based on the recommendations of the Grading of Recommendations Assessment Development and Evaluation (GRADE) working group. Results: Of the 78 included studies, data from 51 studies were eligible for inclusion in the initial pairwise meta-analysis. The three-level hierarchical model indicated a trivial effect for both endurance- and strength-based outcomes, with reduced exercise performance observed in the early follicular phase of the MC, based on the median pooled effect size (ES 0.5 = − 0.06 [95% credible interval (CrI): − 0.16 to 0.04]). Seventy-three studies had enough data to be included in the network meta-analysis. The largest effect was identified between the early follicular and the late follicular phases of the MC (ES 0.5 = − 0.14 [95% CrI: − 0.26 to − 0.03]). The lowest SUCRA value, which represents the likelihood that exercise performance is poor, or among the poorest, relative to other MC phases, was obtained for the early follicular phase (30%), with values for all other phases ranging between 53 and 55%. The quality of evidence for this review was classified as “low” (42%). Conclusion: The results from this systematic review and meta-analysis indicate that exercise performance might be trivially reduced during the early follicular phase of the MC, compared to all other phases. Due to the trivial effect size, the large between-study variation and the number of poor-quality studies included in this review, general guidelines on exercise performance across the MC cannot be formed; rather, it is recommended that a personalised approach should be taken based on each individual's response to exercise performance across the MC.

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  • A Bayesian approach was selected because it estimates the full probability distribution of treatment effects rather than relying on binary significance testing, allowing more informative interpretation of effect sizes and uncertainty, and is well suited to small or imbalanced evidence networks.

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    From The Effect of Different Psychological Interventions on Athletes' Competitive Anxiety: A Systematic Review and Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis. (2026) · cites this paper as [41]

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Authors
McNulty, K. L., Elliott-Sale, K. J., Dolan, E., Swinton, P. A., Ansdell, P., Goodall, S., Thomas, K., & Hicks, K. M.
Affiliations
  • Northumbria University (GB)
  • Nottingham Trent University (GB)
  • Universidade de São Paulo (BR)
  • Robert Gordon University (GB)
Corresponding author
Elliott-Sale, Kirsty Jayne
Venue
Sports Medicine
Published
2020-07-13
Volume
50
Issue
10
Pages
1813-1827
ISSN
  • 0112-1642 (ISSN-L)
  • 1179-2035
OpenAlex
W3038797657
Cited by
812
References
127
Citations by year
2026: 183 · 2025: 181 · 2024: 153 · 2023: 136 · 2022: 72 · 2021: 70 · 2020: 17
FWCI
14.50
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Sports Medicine (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Nottingham Trent University's Institutional Repository (Nottingham Trent Repository) (acceptedVersion)
  • Northumbria Research Link (Northumbria University) (acceptedVersion)
  • Open Access Institutional Repository at Robert Gordon University (Robert Gordon University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (19/05616-6, 2019/, 2019/05616)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Orthopedics and Sports Medicine › Sports Performance and Training
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Cardiovascular and exercise physiology
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Menstrual Health and Disorders
Keywords
menstrual cycle phases, exercise performance, eumenorrheic women, sex hormones, follicular phase, luteal phase, endurance performance, strength performance
MeSH terms
Female, Humans, Menstrual Cycle, Exercise, Athletic Performance

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