Trends in serum relaxin concentration among elite collegiate female athletes

Figures & data

Table 1 Mean serum relaxin concentration, serum progesterone concentration, body mass index (BMI), and participant age

	Serum relaxin concentration (pg/mL)	Serum progesterone concentration (ng/mL)	BMI	Participant age (years)
All participants (N = 169)	3.08 ± 6.66	5.25 ± 4.58	22.42 ± 1.83	19.49 ± 1.34
No hormonal contraceptive (N = 99)	4.25 ± 8.02*	6.99 ± 5.15**	22.35 ± 1.80	19.11 ± 1.20
Ovulatory (71)	5.30 ± 9.08a	8.79 ± 5.04b	22.28 ± 1.78	19.17 ± 1.27
Nonovulatory (28)	1.61 ± 3.08a	2.42 ± 0.49b	22.27 ± 1.86	18.96 ± 1.04
Hormonal contraceptive (N = 70)	1.41 ± 3.50*	2.80 ± 1.76**	22.53 ± 1.90	20.01 ± 1.35
Ovulatory (21)	2.12 ± 5.39	4.88 ± 1.85c	21.99 ± 1.96	19.62 ± 1.28
Nonovulatory (49)	1.11 ± 2.18	1.91 ± 0.54c	22.77 ± 1.84	20.18 ± 1.35
Amenorrheic (N = 10)	1.02 ± 2.47	3.53 ± 2.20	22.15 ± 2.22	19.10 ± 1.66
Ovulatory (4)	0.0 ± 0.0	5.47 ± 2.40	22.15 ± 2.52	19.0 ± 2.0
Nonovulatory (6)	1.70 ± 3.09	2.23 ± 0.46	22.51 ± 2.24	19.17 ± 1.60
Oligomenorrheic (N = 36)	3.71 ± 8.86	5.13 ± 4.93	21.98 ± 1.61	19.42 ± 1.25
Ovulatory (17)	6.67 ± 12.13	8.48 ± 5.51d	21.86 ± 1.49	19.53 ± 1.28
Nonovulatory (19)	1.05 ± 2.45	2.14 ± 0.55d	22.09 ± 1.75	19.32 ± 1.25
Eumenorrheic (N = 123)	3.06 ± 6.14	5.43 ± 4.62	22.58 ± 1.85	19.54 ± 1.34
Ovulatory (71)	4.32 ± 7.56e	7.89 ± 4.72f	22.40 ± 1.86	19.23 ± 1.24
Nonovulatory (52)	1.33 ± 2.54e	2.06 ± 0.60f	22.82 ± 1.83	19.96 ± 1.36

Notes:

* P = 0.002, difference in mean serum relaxin concentration (SRC);

** P < 0.0001, difference in mean serum progesterone concentration (SPC);

a P = 0.003, difference in mean SRC;

b P < 0.0001, difference in mean SPC;

c P < 0.0001, difference in mean SPC;

d P < 0.0001, difference in mean SPC;

e P = 0.003, difference in mean SRC;

f P < 0.0001, difference in mean SPC.

Table 2 Pearson correlation between serum relaxin concentration and serum progesterone concentration

	Correlation coefficient (R)	P-value
Overall	0.49	<0.01
Amenorrheic	−0.13	0.71
Oligomenorrheic	0.63	<0.01
Eumenorrheic	0.44	<0.01
Hormonal contraceptive	0.01	0.93
No hormonal contraceptive	0.50	<0.01
Ovulatory	0.45	<0.01
Nonovulatory	0.21	0.07