INFLUENCE OF MENSTRUAL CYCLE PHASES ON RESISTANCE TRAINING PERFORMANCE: A LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the influence of different menstrual cycle phases on the performance of women engaged in resistance training, considering strength, power, fatigue, recovery, and perceived exertion. The research was conducted through a descriptive literature review with a qualitative approach, with searches performed between June and August 2026 in the PubMed/MEDLINE, LILACS, and SciELO databases. After the identification, screening, eligibility, and inclusion stages, 15 studies were selected. The results showed that menstrual cycle phases may be associated with occasional variations in performance, although these responses do not occur uniformly among women. Objective performance-related measures, such as maximal strength and performance during resistance exercise sets, showed greater stability in some studies, whereas physical symptoms, motivation, fatigue, and perceived performance demonstrated greater individual variability. It was concluded that the available evidence does not support organizing resistance training exclusively according to menstrual cycle phases, and that an individualized approach considering symptoms, recovery, load tolerance, and observed performance is more appropriate.