BACKGROUND: Hormone fluctuations and inconsistencies across the menstrual cycle paired with a shortage of literature on female physiology in exercise have made understanding on female exercise performance troublesome. Performance-based research has fallen behind and the increase in women participation and current evidence does not warrant general guidance on modulating specific exercise across the menstrual cycle. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of estrogen and progesterone on muscle strength, rate of force development, and fatiguability. METHODS: Nineteen recreationally active and eumenorrheic females (25.3 ± 5.8 yrs, 73.4 ± 12.2 kgs) volunteered to participate in the study. Maximal force, rate of force development, and fatiguability of handgrip and knee extensor strength were measured in both the follicular and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle. RESULTS: Menstrual cycle phase or circulating hormone levels showed no consistent effects on maximal strength, RFD, or fatigue outcomes. While few hormone-related trends emerged, particularly involving estrogen and its interaction with progesterone, these effects were inconsistent and did not replicate across outcome measures. CONCLUSION: No reliable evidence was discovered that menstrual cycle phase or associated hormone fluctuations significantly affect isometric strength or fatigue in eumenorrheic women, supporting individualized, rather than phase-based, approaches to training and performance evaluation.
","abstract_html":"<p><strong>BACKGROUND:</strong> Hormone fluctuations and inconsistencies across the menstrual cycle paired with a shortage of literature on female physiology in exercise have made understanding on female exercise performance troublesome. Performance-based research has fallen behind and the increase in women participation and current evidence does not warrant general guidance on modulating specific exercise across the menstrual cycle. <strong>PURPOSE:</strong> The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of estrogen and progesterone on muscle strength, rate of force development, and fatiguability. <strong>METHODS: </strong>Nineteen recreationally active and eumenorrheic females (25.3 ± 5.8 yrs, 73.4 ± 12.2 kgs) volunteered to participate in the study. Maximal force, rate of force development, and fatiguability of handgrip and knee extensor strength were measured in both the follicular and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle. <strong>RESULTS:</strong> Menstrual cycle phase or circulating hormone levels showed no consistent effects on maximal strength, RFD, or fatigue outcomes. While few hormone-related trends emerged, particularly involving estrogen and its interaction with progesterone, these effects were inconsistent and did not replicate across outcome measures. <strong>CONCLUSION:</strong> No reliable evidence was discovered that menstrual cycle phase or associated hormone fluctuations significantly affect isometric strength or fatigue in eumenorrheic women, supporting individualized, rather than phase-based, approaches to training and performance evaluation.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Wisler, Cassidy"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Health and Human Performance","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Lukus Klawitter"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025-07-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2025-07-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:24:36Z","subjects":["estrogen","progesterone","hormone fluctuations","follicular","luteal","female physiology","Sports Sciences"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://commons.nmu.edu/theses/889","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Lukus Klawitter"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Wisler, Cassidy"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2025-07-14T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Health and Human Performance"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["estrogen","progesterone","hormone fluctuations","follicular","luteal","female physiology","Sports Sciences"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://commons.nmu.edu/theses/889"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["BACKGROUND: Hormone fluctuations and inconsistencies across the menstrual cycle paired with a shortage of literature on female physiology in exercise have made understanding on female exercise performance troublesome. Performance-based research has fallen behind and the increase in women participation and current evidence does not warrant general guidance on modulating specific exercise across the menstrual cycle. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of estrogen and progesterone on muscle strength, rate of force development, and fatiguability. METHODS: Nineteen recreationally active and eumenorrheic females (25.3 ± 5.8 yrs, 73.4 ± 12.2 kgs) volunteered to participate in the study. Maximal force, rate of force development, and fatiguability of handgrip and knee extensor strength were measured in both the follicular and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle. RESULTS: Menstrual cycle phase or circulating hormone levels showed no consistent effects on maximal strength, RFD, or fatigue outcomes. While few hormone-related trends emerged, particularly involving estrogen and its interaction with progesterone, these effects were inconsistent and did not replicate across outcome measures. CONCLUSION: No reliable evidence was discovered that menstrual cycle phase or associated hormone fluctuations significantly affect isometric strength or fatigue in eumenorrheic women, supporting individualized, rather than phase-based, approaches to training and performance evaluation.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["MEASURES OF MUSCLE STRENGTH, RATE OF FORCE DEVELOPMENT, AND FATIGUABILITY ACROSS THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Lukus Klawitter"],"dc:creator":["Wisler, Cassidy"],"dc:date.available":["2025-07-14T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["BACKGROUND: Hormone fluctuations and inconsistencies across the menstrual cycle paired with a shortage of literature on female physiology in exercise have made understanding on female exercise performance troublesome. Performance-based research has fallen behind and the increase in women participation and current evidence does not warrant general guidance on modulating specific exercise across the menstrual cycle. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of estrogen and progesterone on muscle strength, rate of force development, and fatiguability. METHODS: Nineteen recreationally active and eumenorrheic females (25.3 ± 5.8 yrs, 73.4 ± 12.2 kgs) volunteered to participate in the study. Maximal force, rate of force development, and fatiguability of handgrip and knee extensor strength were measured in both the follicular and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle. RESULTS: Menstrual cycle phase or circulating hormone levels showed no consistent effects on maximal strength, RFD, or fatigue outcomes. While few hormone-related trends emerged, particularly involving estrogen and its interaction with progesterone, these effects were inconsistent and did not replicate across outcome measures. CONCLUSION: No reliable evidence was discovered that menstrual cycle phase or associated hormone fluctuations significantly affect isometric strength or fatigue in eumenorrheic women, supporting individualized, rather than phase-based, approaches to training and performance evaluation.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://commons.nmu.edu/theses/889"],"dc:subject":["estrogen","progesterone","hormone fluctuations","follicular","luteal","female physiology","Sports Sciences"],"dc:title":["MEASURES OF MUSCLE STRENGTH, RATE OF FORCE DEVELOPMENT, AND FATIGUABILITY ACROSS THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Health and Human Performance"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:24:36Z"}