ORIGINAL ARTICLE   

Minerva Obstetrics and Gynecology 2024 Dec 06

DOI: 10.23736/S2724-606X.24.05542-8

Copyright © 2024 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Ovarian reserve, metabolic and neuroendocrine profiles of cadets from Air Force Academy: a pilot study

Alessandro CONFORTI ¹, Giulia A. GUADALUPI ², Giuseppe PERRUOLO ³, Renata S. AURIEMMA ², Raffaella DI GIROLAMO ⁴ ✉, Luigi CARBONE ¹, Federica CARIATI ⁴, Maria G. ORSI ⁵, Antonio RAFFONE ⁶, Ida STRINA ⁴, Pietro FORMISANO ³, Maurizio GUIDA ¹, Gianfrancesco CAPUANO ¹, Francesca DI RELLA ⁷, Salvatore LONGOBARDI ⁸, Carlo ALVIGGI ⁴, Antonio MOLLO ⁹

¹ Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Science and Odontostomatology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy; ² Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy; ³ Genomic of Diabetes Unit of Research (URT), Department of Translational Medicine, Institute of Experimental Endocrinology and Oncology, National Council of Research (CNR), University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy; ⁴ School of Medicine, Department of Public Health, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy; ⁵ Fertility Unit, Maternal-Child Department, Federico II University Hospital, Naples, Italy; ⁶ Department of Woman, Child and General and Specialized Surgery, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy; ⁷ Department of Senology, IRCCS Fondazione G. Pascale, Naples, Italy; ⁸ Merck Serono S.p.A, Rome, Italy; ⁹ Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, Schola Medica Salernitana, University of Salerno, Baronissi, Salerno, Italy

BACKGROUND: Intensive physical activity and rigid dietary regimes can act as modifiers of neuroendocrine axes in women, inducing hormonal disorders and related menstrual irregularities such as functional hypothalamic amenorrhea (FHA). It would be important to evaluate if such disturbances may worsen female fertility. The aim of this study was to evaluate ovarian reserve markers and neuroendocrine axis in young military academy female cadets with years of training and occurrence of FHA.
METHODS: This is a prospective pilot study involving young female cadets from the Military Academy training program. Ovarian reserve markers and metabolic and neuroendocrine factors in the early follicular phase were measured with blood tests and transvaginal ultrasound.
RESULTS: The study group consisted of 11 women belonging to the first year of training and the control group of 33 women belonging to the second to sixth year of training. No differences were found about ovarian reserve markers between the two groups. Moreover, the occurrence of FHA did not modify the ovarian reserve compared to eumenorrhea in both groups. Women from the study group showed significantly higher levels of fasting Insulin (42.18±26.14 uUI/mL versus 11.9±10.2 ng/mL, P value <0.001) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (310.06±67.90 uUI/mL versus 248.67±61.57 uUI/mL, P value = 0.015) compared with control group.
CONCLUSIONS: Both intense physical training and FHA do not appear to impact the ovarian reserve of young female cadets. Although preliminary, these findings seem reassuring about the reproductive health of these women and their future fertility.

KEY WORDS: Anti-Mullerian hormone; Exercise; Infertility; Menstruation disturbances; Endocrinology