The FENDURA research project

FENDURA (The Female Endurance Athlete) is a research project led by the School of Sport Sciences at UiT The Arctic University of Norway, in close collaboration with NTNU, Olympiatoppen, Norges Skiforbund and Norges Skiskytterforbund. The projects aims at improving the sparse knowledge of how hormonal and other female-specific aspects impact exercise and performance among female endurance athletes. The FENDURA project is focused on researching female athletes, to better understand female-specific challenges, and to improve the performance and health of these athletes.

Full Project Description

Overview

The differences between men and women in physical development accelerate from the onset of puberty, mainly driven by changes in circulating levels of sex-specific hormones. Thus, women ponteintally respond differently to exercise than men, and should not be treated as “small men”. However, our current understanding of exercise physiology is mainly developed via research on men. There is sparse understanding of women’s exercise physiology due to limited consideration for sex-specific differences, such as the influence of the menstrual cycle and use of hormonal contraceptives.

Project Objectives

The primary objective of the female endurance athlete (FENDURA) project is to provide evidence for optimal training and performance of female athletes, in the prevention of female-specific health-related side-effects.

The aims of theFENDURA workpacakges are:
1) investigate the physiological, performance, and training development of female endurance athletes who have reached the world-class competitive level;
2) examines how the phases of the menstrual cycle and the possible use of contraceptives affect the quality of training, performance and severity of menstrual side-effects in female cross-country skiers and biathletes;
3) consider the effect of hormonal fluctuations associated with the menstrual cycle on the atheltic perfromance of female endurance athletes.

Through these studies, we aim to develop new knowledge that increases coaches and athletes’ understanding, and performance, of female endurance athletes. In addition, we aim to progress scientific research that benefits the health of all women who participate in sports and possibly, as well, enhance female sport participation.

Project Structure

The FENDURA project is led by the School of Sport Sciences at UiT The Arctic University of Norway and financed by the Tromsø Research Foundation. FENDURA works in collaboration with two main partners; the Norwegian Olympic Top Sport Centre (Olympiatoppen) and the NTNU Centre for Elite Sport Research, as well as several national and international research networks. We provide high-quality academic training to developing researchers, to ensure sustainability of research activity in the project sphere. We have also built a solid foundation in Northern Norway with an inter-disciplinary, world-leading research group that focuses on female physiology, exercise and performance, and ensures that UiT is an internationally recognized academic institution in this field.

Link to this page

Project Structure (2020-2024)

Work Package 1: Describe the long-term development, training, and performance characteristics of elite female endurance athletes.

Øyvind Sandbakk /

Work Package 2: Influence of the menstrual cycle and hormonal contraceptive use on self-perceived training quality and symptoms/side-effects for elite female XC skiers and biathletes. (Completed 18 June 2024 - Successful PhD defence)

Engseth, Tina Pettersen /

Work Package 3: Effect Of Menstrual Cycle Phase On Physical Fitness, Acute Training Responses, And Recovery Following Exercise in Endurance Trained Females

Taylor, Madison / Dionne Noordhof /

Media

16.08.2024

FENDURA PhD Student, Madison Taylor, is interviewed about her newly published research on the menstrual cycle and athlete performance

18.06.2024

Successful PhD defence by Dr. Tina Pettersen Engseth for FENDURA WP2

25.02.2024

FENDURA project leader, John Owen Osborne, interviewed by Australian media regarding hormonal contraceptives and athletes

All news

Recent Publications

Under Review

Vedenpää, M.M.S., Sagelv, E.H., Torstveit, M.K., Borch, K.B., Osborne, J.O. Lower prevalence of disordered eating behaviours among Norwegian female athletes compared to non-athletes: a cross-sectional survey using the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire. European Journal of Sport Science.
Osborne, J.O., Andersson, E.P., Pedersen, S., Welde, B., Pettersen, S.A., Emaus, A., Solli, G.S. & Engseth, T.P. Hormonal contraceptive use and self-reported menstrual cycle-related symptom frequency and severity in Norwegian team handball players of different competition levels. International Journal of Sports Physiology & Performance.
Osborne, J.O., Kildalsen, I., Pedersen, S., Welde, B., Pettersen, S.A., Minahan, C., & Andersson, E.P. Test-retest reliability of strength, power, agility, and sprint performance in female team handball players. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport.
Engseth, T.P., Osborne, J.O., Solli, G.S., Morseth, B., Andersson, E. P., Tropranin, V. dM., Taylor, M., Noordhof, D.A., Sandbakk, Ø., & Welde, B. Influence of menstrual/withdrawal bleeding on self-reported symptoms and recovery during an annual cycle in endurance athletes: The FENDURA project. Journal of Sports Sciences.

2024

Taylor, M., Hrozanova, M., Nordengen, L., Sandbakk, Ø., Osborne, J.O., & Noordhof, D.A. Influence of menstrual cycle phase on sleep and recovery following high- and low-intensity training in eumenorrheic endurance-trained women: the FENDURA project. International Journal of Sports Physiology & Performance (Accepted August 2024).
Noordhof, D.A., Taylor, M., Tropranin, V.dM., Engseth, T.P., Sandbakk, Ø., & Osborne, J.O.
(2024). Agreement Between the 2- and 3-Step Methods for Identifying Subtle Menstrual Disturbances. International Journal of Sports Physiology & Performance.
Taylor, M., Osborne, J.O., Solli, G.S., Engseth, T.P., Tropranin, V.dM., Welde, B., Morseth, B., Valsdottir, D., Øistuen, G.F., Flatby, I., Haugen, T., Andersson, E.P., Sandbakk, Ø., & Noordhof, D.A. (2024). Menstrual cycle phase has no influence on performance-determining variables in endurance-trained athletes: a FENDURA project. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.

2023

2022

Pre-2022

Recent Conference Presentations and Posters

*Note: only first author displayed.

2024

World Congress of Sports Physical Therapy (WCSPT2024) - Oslo, Norway.

Taylor, Madison. The effect of the menstrual cycle on endurance, perfromance and testing.
Osborne, John Owen. The FENDURA project - research outcomes and practical applications.

Women in Sport Congress (WiSC) - Sydney, Australia.

Taylor, Madison. Influence of menstrual cycle phase on sleep and recovery following low- and high-intensity training in endurance-trained women. Link
Osborne, John Owen. Hormonal contraceptive use and self-reported menstrual cycle-related symptom frequency and severity in Norwegian team handball players of different competition levels. Link

2023

European College of Sports Science (ECSS) Annual Conference - Paris, France.

Taylor, Madison. The influence of menstrual cycle phase on physiological endurance performance-determining variables in endurance-trained athletes. Link
Noordhof, D. The influence of menstrual cycle phase on physiological endurance performance-determining variables in endurance-trained athletes. Link

Female Athlete Conference 2023 - Boston, USA

Engseth, Tina P.; Staff, Hanne; Taylor, Madison. The Female Endurance Athlete (FENDURA): exploring some of the missing links in exercise physiology. Link

American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Annual Meeting - Denver, USA.

Osborne, John Owen. Does Menstrual Cycle Phase Affect Physical Performance Of Female Team Handball Athletes? A comparison between different hormonal-contraceptive users and non-users. Link

International Congress on Science and Skiing (ICSS) - Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria

Osborne, John Owen. The effect of serum hormone concentrations on double poling sprint and countermovement jump performance: the female endurance athlete (FENDURA) project. Link

Amsterdam Institute of Sport Science (AISS) ‘Women in Sport’ - Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Osborne, John Owen. Research and findings from the FENDURA project. Link

2022

Nordic Winter Sports Conference - Östersund, Sweden

de Martin Topranin, Virginia. Prevalence of subtle menstrual disturbances in female endurance athletes of different performance levels: The FENDURA Project. Link

European College of Sports Science (ECSS) Annual Conference - Seville, Spain.

Osborne, John Owen. Annual training characteristics of competitive Norwegian female cross-country skiers and biathletes: the FENDURA project. Link
de Martin Topranin, Virginia. The FENDURA Project: does menstrual cycle phase influence recovery measures in endurance athletes? A pilot study. Link
Engseth, Tina P. Influence of menstruation/withdrawal bleed on self-reported physical and psychological day-to-day parameters in Norwegian cross-country skiers and biathletes: the FENDURA project. Link

14th Annual Conference of the Transnational Working Group for the Study of Gender and Sport - Bodø, Norway.

Osborne, John Owen. Overview of the FENDURA project and descriptive training of Norwegian female cross-country skiers and biathletes. Link
Engseth, Tina P. Prevalence and self-perceived influence of hormonal contraceptive use among female endurance athletes: The FENDURA Project.
Staff, Hanne. Describe long-term physiological, performance and training development of medal-winning Norwegian female endurance athletes – FENDURA project.

2020

Nordic Winter Sports Conference - Online due to COVID19

Morseth, B. & Welde, B. The Female Endurance Athlete (FENDURA):Exploring the missing link in exercise physiology.

FENDURA Master and Bachelor Theses

Master Students

2024

Does hormonal contraceptive use alter response to 8 weeks of strength training in Norwegian women? [UiT IH]
Vitamin D status and bone density in young female population and female endurance athletes [UiT IKM]
The separate and combined effect of subtle menstrual disturbances and low energy availability on bone mineral density in female athletes [NTNU]

2023

Prevalence of hormonal contraceptive use and menstrual cycle disturbances in Norwegian women [UiT IH]
Hyppighet og alvorlighetsgrad av selvopplevde menstruasjonssymptomer og bivirkninger ved bruk av hormonell prevensjon, sett i sammenheng med fysisk aktivitet i idrett og trening [UiT IH]
Description of disordered eating among female athletes in Norway: a comparative cross-sectional study [UiT ISM]
The effect of menstrual cycle phase on subjective sleep and recovery measures [NTNU]
The effect of menstrual cycle phas on blood glucose and respiratory exchange ratio during high vs. low-intensity exercise [NTNU]
Endurance trainability during the menstrual cycle evaluated by selected physiological and subjective parameters [NIH]

2022

Performance factors in female handball: are they affected by the different hormonal phases of the menstrual cycle? [UiT IH]
The influence of menstrual cycle phases on performance-determining physiological variables in well-trained female endurance athletes [Høyskolen Kristiania]
The menstrual cycle impact on physiological determinants important for endurance performance [NIH]
Helseattest for kvinnelige utøvere innenfor langrenn og skiskyting [UiT ISM]
Effects of Menstrual Cyle Phase on Self-Chosen Training Load among Endurance Athletes [NTNU]

2021

Does menstrual cycle phase influence recovery measures in endurance athletes? A pilot study [NTNU]
Indian endurance athletes’ perspective on the menstrual cycle: practices, communication, health status and changes in perceptions across the phases [NTNU & RKMVERI]

2019

Menstruationscykelns påverkan på uthållighetskapacitet hos konditionstränade kvinnor [UiT ISM]

Bachelor Students

2023

I hvilken grad er det forskjeller i kroppens evne til å forbrenne fett i de ulike fasene av menstruasjonssyklusen [UiT IKM)

2022

Menstruasjonssyklusens betydning under trening og kamp. En kvalitativ undersøkelse av håndballspilleres opplevelse og håndtering av menstruasjonssyklusen i konkurranse og trening [UiT IH]
The Influence of The Side Effects from The Menstrual Cycle on Performance and The Prevalence of Hormonal Contraception in Female Handball Players in Northern Norway [UiT IH]
Kvinnelige fotballspilleres kommunikasjon med trener om menstruasjon og bruk av hormonelle prevensjonsmidler [UiT IH]