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BACKGROUND: What deserves exploration is the relationship between menstrual cycle phase and athletic ability of female athletes, especially the mechanism of athletic performance influenced by different menstrual cycle phases.OBJECTIVE: To compare the hormone level of different menstrual cycle phases and the changes of athletic performance as well as its effect on athletic performance.DESIGN: Single sample and single factor analysis.SETTING: Zhejiang Insftute of Sport Science; College of Education,Zhejiang University; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital.PARTICIPANTS: Specially designed menses card were distributed to all the female athletes in the gig team and track & field team in Zhejiang Province in 2000. Consecutive 3-month recording was made to investigate the status of menstrual cycle phases of female athletes. Twenty-five athletes with regular menses were chosen as subjects, among whom 12 were specialized in gig racing with the average age of 19 years and 13 were specialized in track & field events with the average age of 18 years. They all had more than 3-year training experience, 6 days a week and 4-6 hours a day. They were healthy, had regular menstrual cycle, and had not taken any drug which influences the menstrual cycle.METHODS: Blood samples of the testees were collected at hour 8-9 AM at follicular phase (days 6-10) and luteal phase (days 19-23). Full-automatic chemiluminescence immunoassay equipment was used to measure the level of estradiol (E2), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), progesterone, and testosterone in serum. coefficient of variability in batch of reagent was ＜5%. Testees accomplished test of their athletic performance and the test of lactic acid 1 to 2 days after blood sample collection. Gig athletes performed 2000 m and 500 m full-strength pull with Concett Ⅱ boating ergometer while track & field athletes performed 100 m and 200 m full-speed running; the time needed was recorded. Gig athletes conducted 2000 m movements on the ergometer with the frequency of 26 times per minute. Track & field athletes carried out three times of 300-meter running with 90% of intensity with 3-minute intervals. Immediately after movements, the lactic acid value was measured following blood collection.Paired t test of the small sample study was used for significance detection.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The level of E2, FSH, LH, proges-terone and blood lactic acid in serum; 2000 m and 500 m performance of gig athletes as well as 100 m and 200 m performance of track & field athletes were measured by the ergometer.RESULTS: Twenty-five athletes accomplished detection of all the indexes and entered the result analysis. The level of FSL, progesterone and testosterone of gig athletes was higher at luteal phase than at follicular phase;however, E2 and LH level did not significantly differ. The level of progesterone and testosterone of track & field athletes was higher at luteal phase than at follicular phase; however, E2, FSH and LH level did not significantly differ. 500 m performance of gig athletes detected by the ergometer, and 100 m and 200 m full-speed running performance of track & field athletes at luteal phase were superior to those at follicular phase, but no significant difference was found in 2000 m performance of gig athletes. When the same loading was accomplished at follicular phase and luteal phase, the lactic acid value at luteal phase was significantly lower than that at follicular phase.CONCLUSION: Tested athletes at luteal phase have good functional status, which may be related to the changes of menstrual cycle hormone level and synergistic effect of various hormones under thes state of athletic movements. It suggests that sufficient attention should be paid to the menstrual cycle of female athletes.