Substrate Utilization and Hormonal Status in Women

Women sexual hormones (i.e. estrogen) are involved in the regulation of substrate utilization and storage. Being under oral contraception (OC) may conduct to metabolic and hormonal modifications, but results are confused regarding the impact on substrate utilization. In the present study, the aim is then to explore the effect of hormonal status on substrate utilization during sous-maximal exercise, comparing women with and without OC. We hypothesised that women under OC have a lower Respiratory Exchange Ratio (RER) at exercise than women without contraception underlying a greater reliance on fat oxidation.