Higher Sweating Rate and Skin Blood Flow during the Luteal Phase of the Menstrual Cycle

Abstract

Evaporation by sweating is the most effective way to remove heat from the body. Sweat rates increase under both local and whole-body heat stress. Men and women differ in how they respond to heat, because sexual steroids alter resting body core temperature and the threshold for sweating and skin blood flow (SBF) during heating. The purpose of the present study was to compare local sweat rates and cutaneous vasodilatation during heat exposure in women with a regular menstrual cycle. The cutaneous vasodilatation was judged by measuring the SBF. Eight female and nine male subjects participated in this study, and their age range was 24-29 years. Female subjects were tested twice throughout one full menstrual cycle: once during the middle follicular phases and once during the luteal phase. Subjects remained in a temperature-regulated room at 41°C and 21% of relative humidity for 40 minutes. Sweat rate was recorded from the forehead, forearm, and thigh, and skin temperature and SBF were measured on the thigh and forehead. We found that the sweating rate and SBF were greater in the luteal phase compared to follicular phase (p < 0.05). Since both SBF and sweating were controlled by the sympathetic nerve system, the sympathetic outflow was greater during whole body heat exposure in the luteal phase. In contrast, for men, there was no significant difference in sweating and SBF over the same calendar period (p > 0.05). We propose the enhanced sympathetic activity in the luteal phase with a regular menstrual cycle.

Sudomotor and vasomotor activity during the menstrual cycle with global heating

“…Here, as noted previously, body temperature and skin temperature were elevated in the luteal compared with the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle (Petrofsky et al ., ; Avellini et al ., ; Gagnon et al ., ). As also published previously, skin blood flow and the sweat response to global heating were greater in the luteal compared with the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle (Kolka & Stephenson, ; Stephenson & Kolka, ; Kuwahara et al ., ; Janse et al ., ; Lee et al ., ). What this study added was analysis of sudomotor and vasomotor rhythms during the follicular and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle.…”

Greater Reduction of Balance as a Result of Increased Plantar Fascia Elasticity at Ovulation during the Menstrual Cycle

“…The normal menstrual cycle produces low serum levels of estrogen and progesterone in the early follicular phase (menstruation, day 1 to 6), and then estrogen is elevated in the late follicular phase: (day 7 to 14), and progesterone is elevated during the luteal phase: (day 15 to 28) while estrogen remains elevated and slowly returns to baseline (Beynnon and Fleming 1998;Constantini et al 2005). Numerous studies have centered on the laxity of the ACL of the knee (Petrofsky et al 2007;Adachi et al 2008;Lee et al 2013Lee et al , 2014b. This is due to the fact that injuries of the knee are 2 to 8 times greater in women than men and occur most often at menstruation (Beynnon et al 2005).…”

Menstrual Cycle Phase May Effect the Thermoregulation during Anesthesia

“…In luteal phase; progesterone level increases and reaches the highest values in the middle of the luteal phase after that body core temperature is influenced by thermogenic effect of progesterone and increases 0.4 °C approximately [1]. Some studies have found that the concentration of progesterone is correlated with the threshold for sweating and skin blood flow during exercise beside the elevated core temperature [2][3][4]. Also in luteal phase of menstrual cycle increased threshold for cutaneous vasodilatation during passive heating or cooling [5,6].…”