Influence of selected phases of the menstrual cycle on performance in Special judo fitness test and Wingate test

Abstract

Background: Several scientific papers in recent years dealt with the menstrual cycle and its impact on female sport performance. No differences have been found in aerobic performance, but the results of the studies dealing with the influence of the menstrual cycle on anaerobic performance are often controversial. Objective: The aim of this study was to verify the effect of selected phases of the menstrual cycle on anaerobic performance of judokas in the Wingate test and Special judo fitness test. Methods: The research sample was composed of 8 young female judokas (age 18.14 ± 3.44 years; body weight 63.86 ± 10.42 kg; height 165.43 ± 5.09 cm; judo practice 11.14 ± 3.13 years). The observed parameters in the Wingate test were as follows: a) anaerobic peak power; b) anaerobic capacity; c) fatigue index; d) blood lactate in the 5th minute after completing the test. In Special judo fitness test (SJFT) we measured the following parameters: a) number of throws in the first period; b) second period; c) third period; d) total number of throws; e) SJFT index. For the processing and evaluation of obtained data, we used the non-parametric Wilcoxon t-test and effect sizes are described by Cohen's d. Results: No significant changes have been observed in any of those parameters in the Wingate test and Special judo fitness test due to changes of menstrual phases, except of number of throws in the first 15-s period of the Special judo fitness test with better performance in luteal phase (p = .03; Cohen's d = 1.149). Conclusion: Better anaerobic performance in luteal phase could be a result of potential larger phosphocreatine and adenosine triphosphate stores, which can have a positive effect on high intensity specific judo performance.