Influence of sexual cycle phases on cognitive abilities and physical endurance

Abstract

We researched the dependence of cognitive abilities, mostly connected to functions of right and left hemispheres, and physical endurance on phases of sexual cycle. We discovered that on the first day of the cycle the number of correct tasks, connected with functions of the right hemisphere, was bigger than in the middle of the cycle, while no difference was detected in tasks, connected with functions of the left hemisphere. In the beginning of the cycle all test subjects correctly answered more "right hemisphere" questions, than during the ovulation phase, in the middle of the cycle the majority of test subjects correctly answered more "left hemisphere" tasks. We assume that sexual steroids moderate functional differences, connected with functions of right and left hemisphere. Precisely, low level of sexual steroids in the beginning of the cycle helps to activate functions of the right hemisphere, while steroids concentration in the middle of the cycle stops those functions. The level of heartbeat under the physical load was bigger in the luteal phase than before the ovulation; with the increase of load the heartbeat decreased before the ovulation and increase in the luteal phase. We assume that increased content of estrogens before the ovulations lead to decrease in physical endurance, while the decrease of concentration of estrogens in the luteal phase increased this endurance. Therefore, influence of sexual steroids helps to activate functions, which characterize specific psychological and physical status of women sex, particularly verbal abilities, lower abilities for visual analysis, and lower physical endurance of women.