Cycling Through the Menstrual Cycle

NCT ID: NCT06634134

Last Updated: 2025-07-28

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: RECRUITING
• Total Enrollment: 750 participants
• Study Classification: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2024-10-10
• Study Completion Date: 2028-01-01

Brief Summary

With an increase in number of female athletes in sport events, it is becoming more important to gain insight in female related sports physiology. A main difference between male anf female athletes is the menstrual cycle. During the menstrual cycle, female reproductive hormones fluctuate. These hormones are also of influence on endurance, recovery, muscle strenght and mental state. Therefore we hypothesize that training efficiancy, power and motivation to train differ during the menstrual cycle. In case there is a pattern seen during the menstrual cycle, training programs can be individualized taking the menstrual cycle into account leading to more effective training programs.

Detailed Description

More and more women are trying to take their menstrual cycle into account when it comes to training effort, planning and performance. This is called menstrual cycle-based periodized training. However, it is still unknown what the exact influence of the different phases of the menstrual cycle is on training and performance. This includes the influence of hormonal fluctuations during the cycle on training capacity, effort load, restorative capacity, motivation to train and perform, daring to take risks and the mental aspects surrounding training and performance. As a result, general advice about cycle-based periodized training cannot be given at this time.

It has been described in the literature that professional-level cyclists regularly have menstrual cycle disorders (ie RED-s). This has short-term health consequences (less rapid recovery, fatigue) and long-term (osteoporosis, increased risk of cardiovascular disease). At a professional level, this knowledge is slowly penetrating. Less is known about the menstrual cycle of amateur athletes and there is also a lack of knowledge about the effects of the menstrual cycle on performance (endurance capacity, heart rate zones, power achieved).

To gain more insight into the menstrual cycle, the influence of the cycle on training and performance and the influence of training on the cycle of the sporting woman, the aim of this study is to monitor the menstrual cycle of female cyclists in combination with their subjective and objective training parameters. This allows us to create insight and, if useful, adapt training on an individual basis to the phase of the menstrual cycle.

The aim of this research is to investigate how the cyclists' menstrual cycle progresses and whether the cycle has an effect on performance.

Conditions

Menstrual Cycle-based Periodized Training; Female Athlete Triad; Menstrual Cycle

Study Design

• Observational Model Type: COHORT
• Study Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE

Study Groups

Female cyclist

All female cyclist that consent using the data collected by JOIN cycling app and also give permission tracking thier menstrual cycle.

Natrual menstrual cycle. Hormonal contraceptive use Intra-uterine device use (hormonal vs non-hormonal)

Adjusting training advice

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Based on discomfort related to the menstrual cycle the female cyclist can choose to adjust the suggested training.

Interventions

Adjusting training advice

Based on discomfort related to the menstrual cycle the female cyclist can choose to adjust the suggested training.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• JOIN cycling app member
• female cyclist
• informed consent period tracking in JOIN

Exclusion Criteria

• none

• Minimum Eligible Age: 12 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 60 Years
• Eligible Sex: FEMALE
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Antonius Ziekenhuis

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Reinier de Graaf Groep

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

sportgeneeskunde Friesland

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role: collaborator

sport medisch centrum tilburg

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Martini Hospital Groningen

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Locations

Martini Ziekenhuis

Groningen, , Netherlands

Site Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Martini ziekenhuis

Groningen, , Netherlands

Site Status: RECRUITING

Countries

Netherlands

Central Contacts

Anne Marijn van der Graaf, MD/PhD

Role: CONTACT

annemarijn.graaf@outlook.com

0031611474158

Margot Verleg

Role: CONTACT

m.verleg@mzh.nl

0031505246078

Facility Contacts

Anne Marijn van der Graaf, MD/PhD

Role: primary

annemarijn.graaf@outlook.com

0031611474158

Other Identifiers

MenstrualCycling

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id