Scientific Programme

Sports and Exercise Medicine and Health

IS-MH02 - Are the sex hormones friends or enemies when it comes to muscle gain and strength performance in females

Date: 04.07.2024, Time: 17:00 - 18:15, Lecture room: Lomond Auditorium

Description

Classically, sports are divided into male and female categories based on physiological differences between the sexes that are advantageous to males. Part of the sex difference is explained by the fact that sex hormones play an important regulatory role in many physiological parameters. This is relevant knowledge for sport science researchers including female participants but also for trainers and coaches interacting with female athletes. Furthermore, the expanding novel knowledge has sparked a hot debate about how athletes with differences in sex development (DSD) should be eligible to compete in the female category. This symposium will be initiated with a talk by Dr. Hansen centred on the effects of oestrogen on muscle gain and performance. In the second talk Dr. Seynnes will give an overview of the influence of oral contraceptives on musculoskeletal adaptations to resistance training. This will be followed by a presentation by Dr. Hirschberg focusing on athletes with DSDs and the physiological consequences of hyperandrogenism which seems to be overrepresented in the population of top women athletes. The target audience is anyone with a research interest in the regulatory role of sex hormones on human physiology and performance, and who wishes to ground the debate in this field in evidence-based data.

Chair(s)

Mette Hansen
Mette Hansen
Aarhus University, Department of Public Health
Denmark
Sabrina Skorski
Sabrina Skorski
University of Saarland, Institute of Sports and Preventive Medicine
Germany
Mette Hansen

Speaker A

Mette Hansen
Aarhus University, Department of Public Health
Denmark
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ECSS Glasgow 2024: IS-MH02

Oestrogen - effect on resistance training adaptations and strength performance in females

This presentation is aiming at showing the evidence on the regulatory role of oestrogen on muscular adaptations to resistance training in young and postmenopausal females. Present evidence on how females sex hormones are influencing strength performance during the menstrual cycle and before/after the menopause will be discussed. An enhanced understanding of the regulatory role of oestrogen on training responsiveness is of relevance when aiming at optimizing specific training and performance guidance of female athletes. Target audience includes but is not limited to physiologist, endocrinologists, physical therapists, researchers, coaches, and others with interest in muscle mass regulation and sex differences.

Olivier Seynnes

Speaker B

Olivier Seynnes
Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Department of physical performance
Norway
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ECSS Glasgow 2024: IS-MH02

Oral contraceptives - effect on adaptations to resistance training in females

This presentation will provide an overview of the influence of oral contraceptives on musculoskeletal adaptations to resistance training in femwomen, using a mixture of existing and new evidence. After a summary of the previous studies on this topic, the findings from a new study mostly centred on 2nd generation of oral contraceptives will be presented. These results were obtained using established and novel methodological approaches to address the long-standing question of the influence of oral contraceptives on contractile and connective tissue. Additionally, original findings regarding the adaptations to eccentric resistance exercise in women using oral contraceptives will be presented for the first time. The presentation may be of interest for sport scientists, coaches, and physiotherapists specialising in adaptations to resistance training and injury prevention in females.

Angelica Lindén Hirschberg

Speaker C

Angelica Lindén Hirschberg
Karolinska Institutet, Department of Womens and Childrens Health
Sweden
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ECSS Glasgow 2024: IS-MH02

Hyperandrogenism and the role of testosterone for physical performance in elite females

There is emerging evidence of the role of testosterone for athletic performance in women. Androgens can be beneficial by increasing muscle mass and strength, stimulating erythropoiesis, and by promoting competitive behavior. Conditions of hyperandrogenism like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and differences of sex development (DSD) seem to be overrepresented in elite female athletes. 46,XY DSD could cause a greatly increased production of testosterone in the male range, 10-20 times higher than the normal female range. If the individual has normal androgen sensitivity, her muscle mass will develop as in males. Furthermore, a recent double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study showed a causal effect of testosterone on athletic performance in young exercising women. Since sports are divided into female and male classification, it could be considered unfair to allow female athletes with endogenous testosterone in the male range to compete against women with normal female androgen levels. This consideration led international organizations to establish eligibility regulations for female athletes with severe hyperandrogenism. However, these regulations are controversial and have been challenged in court. In this presentation, I will give an overview of different conditions of hyperandrogenism reported in female athletes. Furthermore, the scientific evidence and underlying mechanisms for a beneficial effect of testosterone on athletic performance in women will be presented. The background to the development of relevant regulations and where we stand today will also be discussed. The target group is researchers, athletes, coaches and sports organizations who are interested in and want to protect womens sports.