Evaluating the effects of oral contraceptive use on biomarkers and body composition during a competitive season in collegiate female soccer players. 2021

Brittany N Bozzini, and Bridget A McFadden, and Kirsty J Elliott-Sale, and Paul A Swinton, and Shawn M Arent
Department of Exercise Science, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina.

High training demands throughout the competitive season in female collegiate soccer players have been shown to induce changes in biomarkers indicative of stress, inflammation, and reproduction, which may be exacerbated in athletes using oral contraceptives (OCs). This study aimed to compare biomarkers and body composition between OC-using and nonusing (CON) female soccer players throughout a competitive season. Female collegiate soccer players were stratified into two groups based on their reported OC use at the start of preseason (OC: n = 6; CON: n = 17). Before the start of preseason and immediately postseason, athletes underwent a battery of performance tests. Blood draws and body composition assessments were performed before preseason, on wks 2, 4, 8, and 12 of the season, and postseason. Area-under-the-curve ratios (OCAUC:CONAUC) indicated the OC group were exposed to substantially higher levels of sex hormone-binding globulin (AUCratio = 1.4, probability = P > 0.999), total cortisol (1.7; P > 0.999), C-reactive protein (5.2; P > 0.999), leptin (1.4; P = 0.990), growth hormone (1.5; P = 0.97), but substantively lower amounts of estradiol (0.36; P < 0.001), progesterone (0.48; P = 0.008), free testosterone (0.58; P < 0.001), follicle-stimulating hormone (0.67; P < 0.001), and creatine kinase (0.33, P < 0.001) compared with the CON across the season. Both groups increased fat free mass over the season, but CON experienced a greater magnitude of increase along with decreased body fat percentage. Although similar training loads were observed between groups over the season, the elevated exposure to stress, inflammatory, and metabolic biomarkers over the competitive season in OC users may have implications on body composition, training adaptations, and recovery in female athletes.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study highlights the influence of OC use on physiological changes that occur over a 4-mo intense, competitive season and the differential systemic exposure to biomarkers, specifically those of inflammation, stress, anabolism, and energy balance, between OC-using and nonusing soccer players. Additionally, this study provides insight into changes in body composition with prolonged training between female athletes with and without OC use.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D001823 Body Composition The relative amounts of various components in the body, such as percentage of body fat. Body Compositions,Composition, Body,Compositions, Body
D003276 Contraceptives, Oral Compounds, usually hormonal, taken orally in order to block ovulation and prevent the occurrence of pregnancy. The hormones are generally estrogen or progesterone or both. Low-Dose Oral Contraceptive,Oral Contraceptive,Oral Contraceptives,Oral Contraceptives, Low-Dose,Oral Contraceptives, Phasic,Contraceptive, Low-Dose Oral,Contraceptive, Oral,Contraceptives, Low-Dose Oral,Contraceptives, Phasic Oral,Low Dose Oral Contraceptive,Low-Dose Oral Contraceptives,Oral Contraceptive, Low-Dose,Oral Contraceptives, Low Dose,Phasic Oral Contraceptives
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012621 Seasons Divisions of the year according to some regularly recurrent phenomena usually astronomical or climatic. (From McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 6th ed) Seasonal Variation,Season,Seasonal Variations,Variation, Seasonal,Variations, Seasonal
D012916 Soccer A game in which a round inflated ball is advanced by kicking or propelling with any part of the body except the hands or arms. The object of the game is to place the ball in opposite goals. European Football,Football European,European, Football,Europeans, Football,Football, European
D015415 Biomarkers Measurable and quantifiable biological parameters (e.g., specific enzyme concentration, specific hormone concentration, specific gene phenotype distribution in a population, presence of biological substances) which serve as indices for health- and physiology-related assessments, such as disease risk, psychiatric disorders, ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE and its effects, disease diagnosis; METABOLIC PROCESSES; SUBSTANCE ABUSE; PREGNANCY; cell line development; EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDIES; etc. Biochemical Markers,Biological Markers,Biomarker,Clinical Markers,Immunologic Markers,Laboratory Markers,Markers, Biochemical,Markers, Biological,Markers, Clinical,Markers, Immunologic,Markers, Laboratory,Markers, Serum,Markers, Surrogate,Markers, Viral,Serum Markers,Surrogate Markers,Viral Markers,Biochemical Marker,Biologic Marker,Biologic Markers,Clinical Marker,Immune Marker,Immune Markers,Immunologic Marker,Laboratory Marker,Marker, Biochemical,Marker, Biological,Marker, Clinical,Marker, Immunologic,Marker, Laboratory,Marker, Serum,Marker, Surrogate,Serum Marker,Surrogate End Point,Surrogate End Points,Surrogate Endpoint,Surrogate Endpoints,Surrogate Marker,Viral Marker,Biological Marker,End Point, Surrogate,End Points, Surrogate,Endpoint, Surrogate,Endpoints, Surrogate,Marker, Biologic,Marker, Immune,Marker, Viral,Markers, Biologic,Markers, Immune
D056352 Athletes Individuals who have developed skills, physical stamina and strength or participants in SPORTS or other physical activities. College Athletes,Elite Athletes,Professional Athletes,Athlete,Athlete, College,Athlete, Elite,Athlete, Professional,Athletes, College,Athletes, Elite,Athletes, Professional,College Athlete,Elite Athlete,Professional Athlete

Related Publications

Brittany N Bozzini, and Bridget A McFadden, and Kirsty J Elliott-Sale, and Paul A Swinton, and Shawn M Arent
March 2017, Journal of musculoskeletal & neuronal interactions,
Brittany N Bozzini, and Bridget A McFadden, and Kirsty J Elliott-Sale, and Paul A Swinton, and Shawn M Arent
August 2019, Journal of strength and conditioning research,
Brittany N Bozzini, and Bridget A McFadden, and Kirsty J Elliott-Sale, and Paul A Swinton, and Shawn M Arent
September 2020, Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology,
Brittany N Bozzini, and Bridget A McFadden, and Kirsty J Elliott-Sale, and Paul A Swinton, and Shawn M Arent
November 2021, International journal of environmental research and public health,
Brittany N Bozzini, and Bridget A McFadden, and Kirsty J Elliott-Sale, and Paul A Swinton, and Shawn M Arent
June 2021, Journal of musculoskeletal & neuronal interactions,
Brittany N Bozzini, and Bridget A McFadden, and Kirsty J Elliott-Sale, and Paul A Swinton, and Shawn M Arent
September 2015, Journal of athletic training,
Brittany N Bozzini, and Bridget A McFadden, and Kirsty J Elliott-Sale, and Paul A Swinton, and Shawn M Arent
October 2019, Journal of strength and conditioning research,
Brittany N Bozzini, and Bridget A McFadden, and Kirsty J Elliott-Sale, and Paul A Swinton, and Shawn M Arent
July 2021, Journal of strength and conditioning research,
Brittany N Bozzini, and Bridget A McFadden, and Kirsty J Elliott-Sale, and Paul A Swinton, and Shawn M Arent
July 2018, Journal of strength and conditioning research,
Brittany N Bozzini, and Bridget A McFadden, and Kirsty J Elliott-Sale, and Paul A Swinton, and Shawn M Arent
March 2024, Journal of strength and conditioning research,
Copied contents to your clipboard!