Journal article
Running Economy After a Low- and High-Intensity Training Session in Naturally Menstruating Endurance-Trained Female Athletes: The FENDURA Project
Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, Vol.35(4), pp.1-10
2025
PMCID: PMC11971592
PMID: 40186379
Abstract
The ability to maintain running economy is generally evaluated during a long continuous exercise bouts, and it is unclear whether the menstrual cycle phase acts as a confounder. The first aim of this study was to evaluate the ability to maintain running economy during typical 1-h low- (LIT) and high-intensity training (HIT) sessions in female athletes. The second aim was to investigate whether menstrual cycle phase affected the ability to maintain running economy. Naturally menstruating endurance-trained females performed three LIT (n = 16) (45%-55% of the maximal velocity achieved during the maximal incremental test) and/or three HIT sessions (n = 17) (5 × 4 min at 80% of the maximal velocity achieved during the maximal incremental test) during three distinct menstrual cycle phases: early follicular, ovulatory, and mid luteal. Running economy was determined before and after each session. Running economy, expressed as energy cost (before: 1.34; after: 1.34 kcal/kg/km, p = 0.797) and oxygen cost (before: 272, after: 273 mL/kg/min, p = 0.348), was not significantly different before versus after the LIT session. Energy cost (before 1.33; after: 1.34 kcal/kg/km, p = 0.130) was not significantly different before versus after the HIT session, but oxygen cost (before: 269; after: 274 mL/kg/km, p < 0.003) was slightly higher after the session. Menstrual cycle phase did not confound the ability to maintain running economy. Running economy can be maintained during a typical 1-h LIT session. The ability to maintain running economy during a typical HIT session depends on the expression used; energy cost was unaffected, while oxygen cost may be slightly increased after HIT sessions.
Details
- Title
- Running Economy After a Low- and High-Intensity Training Session in Naturally Menstruating Endurance-Trained Female Athletes: The FENDURA Project
- Authors
- Heleen Docter (Corresponding Author) - Vrije Universiteit AmsterdamMadison Taylor - UiT The Arctic University of NorwayAnna Lena Müller - Norwegian University of Science and TechnologyJos J de Koning - Vrije Universiteit AmsterdamØyvind Sandbakk - UiT The Arctic University of NorwayJohn Owen Osborne - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of HealthDionne A. Noordhof - Norwegian University of Science and Technology
- Publication details
- Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, Vol.35(4), pp.1-10
- Publisher
- Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
- Date published
- 2025
- DOI
- 10.1111/sms.70050
- ISSN
- 1600-0838
- PMID
- 40186379; PMC11971592
- Copyright note
- © 2025 The Author(s). Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science In Sports published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
- Data Availability
- The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
- Grant note
- This study was funded by the Tromsø Research Foundation and UiT The Arctic University of Norway via the Female Endurance Athlete (FENDURA) project (Project-ID: 19_FENDURA_BW).
- Organisation Unit
- School of Health
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991121652702621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web Of Science research areas
- Sport Sciences