Effect of different phases of menstrual cycle in heart rate variability of physically active women

• DOI: 10.1007/s11332-018-0426-5
• Publication Date: 2018-01-31T14:40:14Z
• Authors: Ezequias Rodrigue...; Cristiano Teixeir...; Antonio Carlos Si...; Emanuel Péricles ...; Wellington Robert...
• Keywords: 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine

The menstrual cycle is characterized by an intense hormonal activity, mainly driven by estrogen and progesterone. During the menses, those hormones are usually with reduced levels, but it gradually increases its levels until the follicular phases, thus reaching ovulation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of menstrual cycle phases in heart rate variability of trained women. In this study 19 women had participated, reporting their physical activity status (very active according to the International Physical Activity Questionnaire) and menstrual cycle period. Spectral analysis of HRV was used to calculate low-frequency or LF (0.04–0.15 Hz) and high frequency or HF (0.15–0.4 Hz). Normalized LF and HF components of R–R variability were considered, respectively, as markers of cardiac sympathetic and parasympathetic modulation, and the ratio between them (LF/HF) was considered as an index of the autonomic modulation of the heart. For the determination of the follicular and luteal phases, the monitoring for 5 months was used to characterize the regularity in days the menstrual cycle. As expected, an increased sympathetic and decreased parasympathetic balance was found in the luteal phase when compared to the follicular phase, as shown by increased low-frequency (LF) domains and, decreased RMSSD and HF indexes (p < 0.05). In conclusion, trained women showed reduced heart rate variability during the luteal phase when compared to the follicular phase.