Abstract
Sedentary lifestyles are a major contributor to the global burden of chronic diseases, and females, particularly those using hormonal contraceptives, are a demographic at risk for poor health outcomes. Despite extensive research on exercise interventions, limited attention has been given to understanding how hormonal contraceptives influence physiological and psychological responses to exercise in sedentary females. This study investigated the short- to medium-term effects of a structured 12-week exercise intervention on body composition, muscular fitness (strength and endurance), and quality of life (QoL) in sedentary females using hormonal contraceptives compared to non-hormonal (non-HC) users.
A quantitative, interventional research design was employed, involving 100 sedentary females aged 18 to 35 years. Participants were divided equally into two groups: hormonal contraceptive (HC) users and non-HC users. Participants completed assessments at baseline, mid-point, and post-intervention, which included body composition analysis, muscular fitness testing, and the Short Form-12 Health Survey (SF-12) to evaluate QoL. Data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics at a 95% confidence level (p < 0.05).
The findings revealed significant improvements in body composition, muscular fitness, and QoL across both groups, with no evidence of impaired adaptation among HC users. Quantitatively, HC users reduced body fat from 33.92% at baseline to 28.06% post-intervention, a 5.86% decrease, compared to non-HC users who reduced body fat from 28.09% to 25.48%, a 2.61% decrease (p < 0.05), alongside substantial strength gains, including a 42.1% increase in push-up performance and a 31.7% improvement in wall squat endurance. These positive adaptations were mirrored, though to a lesser extent, in non-HC users (2.61% body fat reduction, 17.9% push-up increase, and 18.1% wall squat improvement), confirming the overall efficacy of the intervention. Collectively, the results lend support to the hormonal stability hypothesis, suggesting that consistent hormonal levels may optimise physiological adaptation to exercise without hindering performance outcomes...