ORIGINAL ARTICLE  EPIDEMIOLOGY AND CLINICAL MEDICINE 

The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness 2018 April;58(4):497-502

DOI: 10.23736/S0022-4707.17.06958-4

Copyright © 2017 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Soccer-related performance in eumenorrheic Tunisian high-level soccer players: effects of menstrual cycle phase and moment of day

Mohamed TOUNSI ¹, Hamdi JAAFAR ^{2, 3} ✉, Asma ALOUI ⁴, Nizar SOUISSI ⁵

¹ Department of Physiology and Lung Function Testing, Faculty of Medicine Ibn-El-Jazzar, University of Sousse, Sousse, Tunisia; ² Montfort Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada; ³ Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada; ⁴ High Institute of Sport and Physical Education, University of Gafsa, Gafsa, Tunisia; ⁵ National Observatory on Sport, Tunis, Tunisia

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to examine the combined effects of menstrual cycle phase and moment of day on female soccer players’ performances in the five-jump test (5JT), the repeated shuttle-sprint ability test (RSSA), and the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test level 1 (YYIRT1).
METHODS: Eleven eumenorrheic Tunisian high-level soccer players volunteered to participate. Each subject individually participated in three testing periods: one in the early follicular phase (menses), one in the late follicular phase, and another in the luteal phase. In each period, two test sessions were conducted: one at 07:30 and another at 17:30. The testing routines included the 5JT, the RSSA, and the YYIRT1.
RESULTS: None of the measured variables were altered due to menstrual cycle phase (all P>0.05). Mean time during RSSA was significantly lower in the afternoon session compared to the morning session (8.48±0.27 s and 8.77±0.34 s, respectively, P<0.001), while 5JT performance was significantly higher in the afternoon compared to the morning (9.08±0.58 m and 8.60±0.56 m, respectively, P<0.001).
CONCLUSIONS: Soccer-specific endurance as well as jumping and repeated sprinting ability of Tunisian female high-level soccer players are not affected due to menstrual cycle phase neither in the morning nor in the afternoon.

KEY WORDS: Menstruation - Follicular phase - Luteal phase - Athletic performance