MADRID, 8 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Recovering quickly from a tough training session or a match is crucial for athletes’ performance and, therefore, they must take into account all the factors that can influence said recovery. In the case of women, especially those who perform some type of sport professionally, until now the use of oral contraceptives was identified as a barrier when it comes to muscle recovery.
Contrary to this statement, a study by researchers at the University of Aarhus (Denmark) has just been published, which has shown that measures of muscle strength recovery after three strenuous sessions of resistance exercise are comparable between trained women who use contraceptives. second generation and non-users.
“The study shows that oral contraceptives are unlikely to have a substantial impact on muscle recovery after intensive exercise in active women. This is reassuring news for athletes and people engaged in intense training,” says the researcher and student PhD, Mikkel Oxfeldt.
To reach this conclusion, researchers have examined whether trained women who use second-generation oral contraceptives experience markedly different muscle recovery after resistance exercise compared to women who do not use hormonal contraceptives. The conclusion they have reached is that there is a minimal difference.
These findings contradict previous studies that primarily examined untrained individuals and suggested a possible negative impact on recovery.
The study, which focuses on second-generation oral contraceptives, has been carried out on 20 trained women who use oral contraceptives and 20 trained women who do not use them and three strenuous training sessions were carried out. Blood samples were taken before training and after three, 24 and 48 hours.
Participants were tested for muscle soreness, maximum muscle strength, jump height, and markers of muscle damage measured in the blood. Additionally, they received all meals throughout the trial and their dietary intake was carefully monitored to ensure sufficient energy, carbohydrates and protein.
In addition, it was ensured that all oral contraceptive users took the same type of pill. This was crucial since oral contraceptives can vary greatly in dosage and content of synthetic hormones that potentially affect the body’s physiology.
Despite the widespread use of oral contraceptives, “comprehensive knowledge about their effects on the body’s systems is still lacking,” says Mikkel Oxfeldt. “In addition, the use of other contraceptives such as mini-pills and intrauterine devices is increasing, but we have even less information about these types of contraceptives. Our goal is to expand our knowledge in this area in the coming years,” he adds.
For this reason, researchers have worked in recent years to study how female sex hormones, including the menstrual cycle and the use of hormonal contraceptives, affect women in terms of sport and health.
“The quantity of research and, more importantly, the quality of existing research is insufficient. Our research group is committed to conducting world-class research to provide women with evidence-based guidance in the context of sport and training,” says Mikkel Oxfeldt.
