Is there a role for menstrual cycle phased resistance training programmes for women post anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction? A scoping review protocol

Abstract

Background

Women need to engage in effective quadriceps resistance training programmes following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Recent research has supported follicular phase-based resistance training for enhancing resistance training strength outcomes in eumenorrheic females. It is unclear whether research has investigated menstrual cycle phased resistance training programs in eumenorrheic females post-ACLR or whether there is a gap for further research in this area.

Objective

This scoping review aims to describe what is known about menstrual cycle phased resistance training programmes in injured and non-injured eumenorrheic females, identify any existing gaps in knowledge, and propose future research.

Methods

The research team will search five databases using predetermined search terms. Eumenorrheic female participants undergoing a menstrual cycle phased resistance training programme for at least one menstrual cycle length will be included. All studies must be in the English language and published in academic journals. The research team will evaluate relevant titles and abstracts against the eligibility criteria. Potentially relevant sources will be retrieved in full. The full text of selected studies will be assessed in detail against the inclusion criteria by two reviewers. The research team will extract data from included papers using a data charting form. The review will present all results in table format accompanied by a narrative summary.

Results

Results are not yet known.

Discussion

This will contribute to the understanding of methodologies and outcomes of menstrual cycle phased resistance training programmes, and indicate whether there is a role for future research in injured and non-injured populations.

Keywords:

• Quadriceps
• female athlete
• rehabilitation
• physiotherapy
• sports medicine

Disclosure statement

The authors reported no potential conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by The New Zealand Manipulative Physiotherapists Association (NZMPA) Scholarship 2020. It was also supported by the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) who have provided funding for the primary author’s PhD studies as part of her continuing professional development plan.

Notes on contributors

Emma O’Loughlin

Emma O’Loughlin is a physiotherapist and current PhD candidate at The Sports Performance Research Institute New Zealand (SPRINZ), Auckland University of Technology where she is investigating the effects of a female-specific rehabilitation programme for anterior cruciate ligament injuries. She is also a Musculoskeletal Medicine Lecturer at the University of Otago.

Duncan Reid

Duncan Reid is a Professor of Physiotherapy in Auckland University of Technology. Professor Reid is a Fellow of the New Zealand College of Physiotherapy and a Life Member of the New Zealand Manipulative Physiotherapists Association (NZMPA), the International Federation of Orthopaedic Manipulative Physiotherapists Association (IFOMPT) and Physiotherapy New Zealand (PNZ). He is also the former Vice President of IFOMPT and is an editorial board member for the journals Musculoskeletal Science and Practice, Journal of Orthopaedic Sports Physical Therapy, and the Deputy Editor of the Journal of Manual and Manipulative Therapy.

Stacy Sims

Stacy Sims, Ph.D., is an applied researcher, innovator, and entrepreneur in human performance, specifically sex differences in training, nutrition, and environmental conditions. Prior to being launched into industry, she served as an exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist at Stanford University from 2007 to 2012, where she specialized in sex differences with environmental and nutritional considerations for recovery and performance, specializing in women's health and performance. Her contributions to the international research environment and the sports nutrition industry has established a new niche in sports nutrition; and established her reputation as the expert in sex differences in training, nutrition, and health.