Iron and Muscular Damage: FEmale Metabolism and Menstrual Cycle During Exercise
Condition: Iron-deficiency; Inflammation; Exercise Induced Iron-deficiency; Exercise Induced Muscle Damage; Regulation of Sex Hormones on Hepcidin; Regulation of Sex Hormones on Muscle Damage; Iron Metabolism Disorders
MeSH terms: Anemia, Iron-Deficiency; Iron Deficiencies; Metabolic Diseases; Iron Metabolism Disorders; Inflammation
Study type: Observational [Patient Registry]

Summary: 
      This project is an observational controlled randomized counterbalance study. One hundred and
      three physically active and healthy women were selected to participate in the IronFEMME
      Study, of which 57 were eumenorrheic, 30 were oral contraceptive users (OCP) and 16 were
      postmenopausal women. The project consisted on two sections carrying out at the same time:
      Iron metabolism (Study I) and Muscle damage (Study II). For the study I, the exercise
      protocol consisted on an interval running test (8 bouts of 3 min at 85% of the maximal
      aerobic speed), whereas the study II protocol was based on an eccentric-based resistance
      exercise protocol (10 sets of 10 repetitions of plate-loaded barbell parallel back squats at
      60% of their 1RM with 2 min of rest between sets). In both studies, eumenorrheic participants
      were evaluated at three specific moments of the menstrual cycle: Early-follicular phase,
      late-follicular phase and mid-luteal phase; OCP performed the trial at two moments:
      Withdrawal phase and active pill phase. Lastly, postmenopausal women were tested only once,
      since their hormonal status does not fluctuate. The three-step method was used to verify the
      menstrual cycle phase: calendar counting, blood analyses confirmation and urine-based
      ovulation kits. Blood samples were obtained to measure sexual hormones (e.g., 17β-Estradiol,
      Progesterone), iron metabolism parameters (e.g., Hepcidin, Iron, Ferritin, Transferrin) and
      muscle damage related markers (e.g., Creatine Kinase, Myoglobin, Lactate Dehydrogenase).
    


Intervention name(s): Interval running protocol / eccentric-based resistance exercise protocol
Intervention type(s): Procedure
Observational model: Cohort
Time perspective: Cross-Sectional
Sampling method: Non-Probability Sample
Study population: 
        Physically active and healthy women. Study I, 37 eumenorrheic women (30.0±6.3 yrs;
        59.8±15.7 kg; 163.7±6.3 cm): endurance training (ET) experience of 7.7 yrs and training
        volume of 5.5±0.9 h/week. Study II, 20 eumenorrheic women (28.8±6.2 yrs; 57.5±13.8 kg;
        163.9±6.4 cm): strength training (ST) experience of 6.4±4.1 yrs and training volume of
        7.5±2.1 h/week. Eumenorrheic women selected to participate in Study I and II were
        different, whereas oral contraceptive users and postmenopausal women participated in both
        studies. 30 oral contraceptive users (25.1±4.3 yrs; 56.2±10.9 kg; 163.1±5.5 cm): ET
        experience of 7.3±5.5 yrs and training volume of 3.4±1.5 h/week; ST experience of 3.1±1.9
        yrs and training volume of 2.5±1.4 h/week. 16 postmenopausal women (51.4±3.7 yrs; 56.7±8.3
        kg; 161.7±4.9 cm): ET experience of 7.9±3.4 yrs and training volume of 4.1±1.2 h/week; ST
        experience of 3.1±1.9 yrs and training volume of 1.6±0.9 h/week
      
Keywords: Hepcidin; Iron deficiency; Menstrual cycle; Muscle damage; Creatine kinase; Female; Exercise; Estrogen; Progesterone; Oral contraceptives; Postmenopausal women