Effects of oral contraceptive use on female sexual salivary hormones and indirect markers of muscle damage following eccentric cycling in women.

Abstract

To determine the effects of oral contraceptive (OC) use on salivary concentrations of testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, and its effects on the changes in indirect markers of muscle damage following eccentric cycling in women. 10 oral contraceptive users at follicular phase (OC-FOL), 10 non-oral contraceptives users at follicular phase (NOC-FOL), and 10 non-oral contraceptives users at ovulation phase (NOC-OV) participated. Subjects performed 30min of eccentric cycling at 90% of their maximal concentric power output (PO). Maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVC), creatine kinase activity (CK), muscle soreness (SOR), and pain pressure threshold of vastus lateralis (PPT-VL) was assessed before, immediately after, and 24-96h after cycling. Salivary estrogen, progesterone and testosterone concentrations were measured before, 72 and 96h after exercise. No difference in estrogen levels between users and non-users was observed. Testosterone was 45% lower in OC-FOL than NOC-FOL at 96h post-exercise (P = 0.01). Progesterone was 30.8-fold higher in NOC-OV than OC-FOL and 9.7-fold higher than NOC-FOL at 96h post-exercise. The NOC-FOL recovered all indirect markers of muscle damage by 72h post-exercise (P > 0.05). NOC-OV recovered MVC strength and muscle soreness (SOR and PPT-VL) by 96h post-exercise (P > 0.05). OC-FOL did not recover baseline values of MVC, SOR, CK, and PPT-VL by 96h. These results suggest that recovery after exercise-induced muscle damage took longer in OC-FOL, followed by NOC-OV and by NOC-FOL, respectively. Furthermore, testosterone and progesterone levels may affect recovery of indirect markers of muscle damage in women.