Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41593608›Full record

ArticleBMC women's health2026

Changes in androgen profile over the menstrual cycle and hormonal contraceptive phases in physically active females.

Vera M Salmi, Ritva S Mikkonen, Ida E Löfberg, Kelly L McNulty, Kirsty M Hicks, Anthony C Hackney, Johanna K Ihalainen

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In one paragraph

Article in BMC women's health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Vera M SalmiFaculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland. vera.m.salmi@jyu.fi.
Ritva S MikkonenFaculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland.
Ida E LöfbergFaculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland.
Kelly L McNultyDepartment of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK.
Kirsty M HicksDepartment of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK.
Anthony C HackneyDepartment of Exercise & Sport Science - Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Johanna K IhalainenFaculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland.

Funding

Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture OKM/21/626/2021Urheiluopistosäätiö 20190110
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundConcentrations of female sex hormones fluctuate during the menstrual cycle (MC), while hormonal contraceptives (HC) generally suppress hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis function resulting in lower concentrations of endogenous estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4). Little attention has been paid to changes in androgen concentrations during MC and HC phases. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate changes in androgen concentrations over the MC and HC phases.

methodsThe study was a cross-sectional analysis across MC and HC phases using four time points. E2, P4, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), total testosterone (tT), free testosterone (fT), sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulfate (DHEA-S) were analyzed from the serum of healthy, physically active, naturally menstruating (NM = 36), hormonal intrauterine device using (IUD = 12) and combined HCs using (CHC = 25) females.

resultsIn NM, concentrations of tT (β = 0.16, p = 0.050), fT (β = 1.85, p < 0.001) and DHEA (β = 5.29, p = 0.045) were significantly higher at ovulatory phase and concentrations of DHEA-S at the mid-follicular phase (β = 0.32, p = 0.012) compared to bleeding. In IUD, tT concentrations fluctuated significantly being highest at mid-cycle (β = 0.34, p = 0.001) compared to the sample defined as measurement 1 (based on bleeding and/or hormonal concentrations). In CHC, concentrations of E2, P4, tT, fT, DHEA, and DHEA-S remained unchanged between the HC phases.

conclusionsSince the endogenous hormonal milieu, including androgens, may affect female physiology, considering the fluctuation in androgen levels over the MC and HC phases may be of importance in physiological research.

Indexed as

AndrogensContraceptive Agents, HormonalExerciseMenstrual CycleAdultCross-Sectional StudiesDehydroepiandrosteroneDehydroepiandrosterone SulfateEstradiolFemaleFollicle Stimulating HormoneHumansHypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal AxisLuteinizing HormoneProgesteroneSex Hormone-Binding GlobulinAndrogensContraceptive Agents, HormonalDehydroepiandrosteroneDehydroepiandrosterone SulfateEstradiolFollicle Stimulating HormoneLuteinizing HormoneProgesteroneSex Hormone-Binding GlobulinTestosteroneAndrogensFemale physiologyHormonal contraceptivesMenstrual cycleSex hormones

Identifiers

PMID41593608
PMCPMC12918223

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.