Do female hormones reshape the Heart's response to exercise? a study investigates
NCT ID NCT07779447
First seen Aug 21, 2026 · Last updated Aug 21, 2026
Summary
This study explores whether natural changes in estrogen and progesterone during the menstrual cycle, as well as the use of birth control pills, influence heart and blood vessel function and exercise capacity. Sixty healthy women aged 18 to 35—half taking oral contraception and half not—will undergo heart and exercise tests at three key phases of one menstrual cycle. The goal is to see if hormonal fluctuations subtly affect cardiovascular performance at rest and during physical effort.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- No drug or device is tested; the study observes natural hormonal variations and compares women using oral contraception with those not using it.
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could improve understanding of how female hormones influence heart and exercise performance, potentially guiding personalized training and health advice for women.
- What could go wrong
- This is an observational study with a small sample, so results may not apply to all women. Hormonal effects are subtle and may be hard to isolate from other factors.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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60 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Feb 2024
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
60 healthy women : 30 healthy youg (18-35 ans) female with hormonal contraception (pill), and 30 healthy women without hormonal contraception will be recruted, matched for age, sex, body mass index (BMI) and physical activity level. All women will have regular cycles with ovulation assessed (between 26 and 34 days with maximum 2 to 3 days of difference between cycles) be eumenorrheic, nulliparous, free of any gynaecological/cardiovascular/neurologic/osteomuscular/respiratory pathologies, non-smoker, non-obese (BMI between 18.5 and 25) and drug-free.
- Ages
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18 to 35 years
- Sex
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Female participants only
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Female, aged 18 to 35 years. * Healthy participant. * Either; 1. Current user of hormonal oral contraception for at least 3 months prior to enrollment; or 2. Naturally cycling woman not using hormonal contraception. * Regular menstrual cycles between 26 and 34 days, with no more than 2-3 days variation between consecutive cycles. * Evidence of ovulation during the menstrual cycle monitoring period. * Nulliparous. * Body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 25.0 kg/m². * Able and willing to comply with all study procedures and visits. Exclusion Criteria: * Current smoker or use of nicotine-containing products. * Pregnancy or breastfeeding. * History or presence of gynecological disorders. * History or presence of cardiovascular disease. * History or presence of neurological disease. * History or presence of respiratory disease. * History or presence of musculoskeletal disorders that may affect exercise performance. * Obesity (BMI \>25.0 kg/m²). * Use of medications known to affect cardiovascular, respiratory, autonomic, or hormonal function. * Inability or unwillingness to abstain from alcohol and caffeine for 72 hours before each experimental session.
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Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Université Libre de Bruxelles - Campus Erasme - Faculté des Sciences de la Motricité Humaine - Laboratoire de Physiologie Cardiorespiratoire, Exercice et Nutrition
Anderlecht, Brussels Capital, 1070, Belgium