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The acute effect of the menstrual cycle and oral contraceptive cycle on measures of body composition

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European Journal of Applied Physiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to investigate the effect of fluctuating female hormones during the menstrual cycle (MC) and oral contraceptive (OC) cycle on different measures of body composition.

Methods

Twenty-two women with a natural MC and thirty women currently taking combined monophasic OC were assessed over three phases of the menstrual or oral contraceptive cycle. Body weight, skinfolds, bioelectric impedance analysis (BIA), ultrasound, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) measurements were performed to assess body composition. Urine specific gravity (USG) was measured as an indication of hydration, and serum oestradiol and progesterone were measured to confirm cycle phases.

Results

Five participants with a natural MC were excluded based on the hormone analysis. For the remaining participants, no significant changes over the MC and OC cycle were found for body weight, USG, skinfolds, BIA, ultrasound and pQCT measures. However, DXA body fat percentage and fat mass were lower in the late follicular phase compared to the mid-luteal phase of the MC, while for the OC cycle, DXA body fat percentage was higher and lean mass lower in the early hormone phase compared with the late hormone phase.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that assessment of body fat percentage through BIA and skinfolds may be performed without considering the MC or OC cycle. Body adiposity assessment via DXA, however, may be affected by female hormone fluctuations and therefore, it may be advisable to perform repeat testing using DXA during the same phase of the MC or OC cycle.

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Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to privacy or ethical restrictions.

Abbreviations

ANOVA:

Analysis of variance

BIA:

Bioelectrical impedance analysis

CSA:

Cross-sectional area

CV:

Coefficient of variation

DXA:

Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry

ICC:

Intraclass correlation coefficient

ISAK:

International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry

LH:

Luteinizing hormone

MC:

Menstrual cycle

NHANES:

National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

OC:

Oral contraceptives

pQCT:

Peripheral quantitative computed tomography

USG:

Urine specific gravity

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Funding

This research was supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarship.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Exercise and Sport Science, The University of Newcastle, Ourimbah, Australia

    Belinda M. Thompson, Heidi L. Hillebrandt & Xanne A. K. Janse de Jonge

  2. School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, The University of Newcastle, Ourimbah, Australia

    Dean V. Sculley

  3. Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia

    Heidi L. Hillebrandt

  4. Department of Health and Human Performance, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    Laura Barba-Moreno

  5. Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, 1/75 Talavera Road, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia

    Belinda M. Thompson

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  1. Belinda M. Thompson
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  2. Heidi L. Hillebrandt
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  4. Laura Barba-Moreno
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  5. Xanne A. K. Janse de Jonge
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Contributions

BT and XJ conceived and designed the research. BT, XJ, HH, DS and LBM conducted the research. BT wrote the manuscript. All authors read and approved the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Belinda M. Thompson.

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Communicated by Kirsty Elliott-Sale.

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Thompson, B.M., Hillebrandt, H.L., Sculley, D.V. et al. The acute effect of the menstrual cycle and oral contraceptive cycle on measures of body composition. Eur J Appl Physiol 121, 3051–3059 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-021-04771-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-021-04771-9

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