Phase-Specific Variations in Lower-Limb Muscle Strength Across the Menstrual Cycle in Female Soccer Players.

Christina Sefotha, Simoné Ferreira, Lynn Smith

Abstract read

In one paragraph

Article in Sports (Basel, Switzerland), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it

0cells of the map it votes in

0citing 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

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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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Christina SefothaDepartment of Sport and Movement Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg 2028, South Africa.

Simoné FerreiraDepartment of Sport and Movement Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg 2028, South Africa.

Lynn SmithDepartment of Sport and Movement Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg 2028, South Africa.ORCID 0000-0002-8562-5004

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Fluctuations in ovarian hormones across the menstrual cycle (MC) have been suggested to influence neuromuscular performance in female athletes. However, phase-specific variations in lower-limb muscle strength remain underexplored, particularly within the soccer population. This study investigated phase-related differences in lower-limb muscle strength across MC phases in female soccer players. A repeated-measures design was employed involving 50 competitive female soccer players. Bilateral lower-limb muscle strength was assessed using a handheld dynamometer (VALD DynaMo Plus) during the three MC phases: menstruation, late follicular, and luteal phase. Estimated menstrual cycle phases were identified using calendar-estimated tracking or an MC monitoring application (FitrWoman). Phase-related differences were analysed using repeated-measures analysis of variance with Bonferroni-adjusted post hoc comparisons, and effect sizes were reported as partial eta squared (ηp

Indexed as

femaleslate follicular phaseluteal phasemenstrual cyclemenstruation phasesoccerstrength

Identifiers

PMID42506800

DOI10.3390/sports14070257

PMCPMC13418160

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY

Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

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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.