Could Birth Control Pills Prevent Muscle Injuries?

Key TakeawaysA recent study found that females who use oral contraceptives are less likely to get muscle and tendon injuries.While more research is needed to understand how oral contraceptive use might reduce muscle and tendon injuries, experts suggest that it could be related to hormonal balances.Experts say that doing a proper warm-up and cool-down, stretching, maintaining proper form, and having adequate rest and recovery are key factors in preventing muscle and tendon injuries.

Key Takeaways

A recent study found that females who use oral contraceptives are less likely to get muscle and tendon injuries.While more research is needed to understand how oral contraceptive use might reduce muscle and tendon injuries, experts suggest that it could be related to hormonal balances.Experts say that doing a proper warm-up and cool-down, stretching, maintaining proper form, and having adequate rest and recovery are key factors in preventing muscle and tendon injuries.

Oral contraceptives may make you less prone to certain muscle and tendon injuries compared to those who aren’t on the pill, according to a recent study involving data from over 126,000 patients.

The study published inMedicine & Science in Sports & Exercisefound that female participants using birth control pills were 85% less likely than male participants to experience muscle sprains or tendon strains, which are the most common types of musculoskeletal injuries in sports.

“This discovery has the potential to advance preventative strategies and clinical interventions from musculotendinous injuries for various female populations,” Luis Rodriguez, lead author of the study and PhD candidate in the Joint Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program between UT Dallas and UT Southwestern, told Verywell in an email.

Here’s what else you need to know about the study, how birth control pills might protect you from muscle injuries, and expert-recommended strategies for preventing such injuries.

A Note on Gender and Sex TerminologyVerywell Health acknowledges thatsex and genderare related concepts, but they are not the same. To reflect our sources accurately, this article uses terms like “female,” “male,” “woman,” and “man” as the sources use them.

A Note on Gender and Sex Terminology

Verywell Health acknowledges thatsex and genderare related concepts, but they are not the same. To reflect our sources accurately, this article uses terms like “female,” “male,” “woman,” and “man” as the sources use them.

People on the Pill Had Significantly Fewer Muscle and Tendon Injuries Than Others

Rodriguez and his colleagues used a national healthcare database called PearlDiver to look into an orthopedic injury dataset. They looked at the proportion of muscle and tendon injuries in the lower parts of the body compared to the total number of orthopedic injuries in different groups, including males, females who had been using oral contraceptives for at least a year before their injury and continued using them afterward, and females who had never used oral contraceptives.

The study focused on patients aged 18 to 39 with body mass indexes (BMIs) ranging from normal to overweight. Each cohort had 42,267 patients.

The study included monophasic, biphasic, triphasic, and quadriphasic oral contraceptive pills, which aredifferent formulationsdesigned to provide varying levels of hormones throughout the menstrual cycle.

Rodriguez some examples of lower-body strain injuries featured in the study database include:

After considering factors like age, BMI, and geographic location, the researchers found that female participants using oral contraceptives had fewer muscle and tendon injuries compared to female participants who didn’t use them, and compared to male participants. Specifically, only 0.55% of orthopedic injuries were muscle and tendon injuries in those on birth control, compared to 2.55% for those without a history of using oral contraceptives and 3.49% for males.

Why Might Birth Control Pills Prevent Muscle and Tendon Injuries?

Rodriguez said that we still need more research to understand how birth control pills might affect muscle and tendon injuries, but he thinks it might have something to do with hormone levels.

“At this point, we don’t know, but research indicates that women with low estrogen levels, such as after menopause, have poorer musculoskeletal health compared to women with normal levels,” Rodriguez said.

Menopause Job Accommodations Could Change How Women Work

Other experts suggest that birth control pills might help prevent muscle and tendon injuries because of how they affectestrogen, a hormone necessary for maintaining reproductive and sexual health.

Preliminary and controversial data show that muscle and tendon injuries in female athletes occur more frequently during certain phases of the menstrual cycle when estrogen levels are high and progesterone levels are low, Mary Jacobson, MD, an OB-GYN and Chief Medical Officer atHello Alpha, told Verywell in an email.

However, estrogen, found in birth control pills can help improve muscle mass and strength while also increasing the collagen content of connective tissues, Jacobson said. But too much estrogen can make tendons and ligaments less stiff, which raises the chance of injury.

Other Potential Benefits of Birth Control Pills

Besides protecting against pregnancy, birth control pills offer many other benefits, Jacobson said. They may make your period more regular, lighter, and shorter, help reduce or ease menstrual cramps, and decrease the risk of cancer of the uterus, ovary, and colon.

In addition, birth control pills may improve acne and unwanted hair growth and treat certain disorders that cause heavy bleeding and menstrual pain, such as fibroids and endometriosis, Jacobson said.

Some studies have indicated that women using oral contraceptive pills may experience lower incidences of anterior cruciate ligament injuries, Rodriguez said. However, he emphasized that “this field is still young, so there are still a lot of unanswered questions” regarding the lesser-known benefits of birth control usage.

What Are the Risks of Taking Birth Control Pills?

Although there are benefits to using oral contraceptives, there are some risks to be aware of, Jacobson said. These include a small increased risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or blood clots, heart attack, stroke, and liver tumors.

Some individuals may experiencedigestive issueslike bloating, increases in appetite, abdominal discomfort, and nausea,Myra Trivellas, MD, an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in the treatment of shoulder, knee, and hip conditions and injuries at Hoag Orthopedic Institute, told Verywell in an email.

Trivellas added that oral contraceptives may also cause hormonal side effects, such as mood changes, depression, mental changes, and headaches.They can alsointeract with certain medications, “potentially reducing their effectiveness or causing adverse effects.”

Is the Blood Clot Risk From Birth Control Reversible?

Other Ways to Prevent Muscle Injuries

According to Trivellas and Jacobson, there are many things you can do to prevent muscle injuries and strains.

What This Means For YouWhile women who take oral contraceptive pills might have a lower risk of muscle and tendon injuries, experts emphasize the need for further research to fully grasp why this might be the case. They recommend warming up, maintaining proper form, and taking adequate rest to prevent muscle injury.

What This Means For You

While women who take oral contraceptive pills might have a lower risk of muscle and tendon injuries, experts emphasize the need for further research to fully grasp why this might be the case. They recommend warming up, maintaining proper form, and taking adequate rest to prevent muscle injury.

10 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Sports injuries.Rodriguez LA 2nd, Liu Y, Soedirdjo SDH, Thakur B, Dhaher YY.Oral contraception use and musculotendinous injury in young female patients: a database study.Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2024;56(3):511-519. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000003334Balachandar V, Marciniak JL, Wall O, Balachandar C.Effects of the menstrual cycle on lower-limb biomechanics, neuromuscular control, and anterior cruciate ligament injury risk: a systematic review.Muscles Ligaments Tendons J. 2017;7(1):136-146. doi:10.11138/mltj/2017.7.1.136Gray AM, Gugala Z, Baillargeon JG.Effects of oral contraceptive use on anterior cruciate ligament injury epidemiology.Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2016;48(4):648-54. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000000806American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Combined hormonal birth control: pill, patch, and ring.Planned Parenthood.What are the benefits of the birth control pill?.Planned Parenthood.How safe is the birth control pill?Mu E, Kulkarni J.Hormonal contraception and mood disorders.Aust Prescr.2022;45(3):75-79. doi:10.18773/austprescr.2022.025UConn Health.7 Guidelines for injury prevention.Harvard Health Publishing.Muscle strain.

10 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Sports injuries.Rodriguez LA 2nd, Liu Y, Soedirdjo SDH, Thakur B, Dhaher YY.Oral contraception use and musculotendinous injury in young female patients: a database study.Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2024;56(3):511-519. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000003334Balachandar V, Marciniak JL, Wall O, Balachandar C.Effects of the menstrual cycle on lower-limb biomechanics, neuromuscular control, and anterior cruciate ligament injury risk: a systematic review.Muscles Ligaments Tendons J. 2017;7(1):136-146. doi:10.11138/mltj/2017.7.1.136Gray AM, Gugala Z, Baillargeon JG.Effects of oral contraceptive use on anterior cruciate ligament injury epidemiology.Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2016;48(4):648-54. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000000806American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Combined hormonal birth control: pill, patch, and ring.Planned Parenthood.What are the benefits of the birth control pill?.Planned Parenthood.How safe is the birth control pill?Mu E, Kulkarni J.Hormonal contraception and mood disorders.Aust Prescr.2022;45(3):75-79. doi:10.18773/austprescr.2022.025UConn Health.7 Guidelines for injury prevention.Harvard Health Publishing.Muscle strain.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Sports injuries.Rodriguez LA 2nd, Liu Y, Soedirdjo SDH, Thakur B, Dhaher YY.Oral contraception use and musculotendinous injury in young female patients: a database study.Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2024;56(3):511-519. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000003334Balachandar V, Marciniak JL, Wall O, Balachandar C.Effects of the menstrual cycle on lower-limb biomechanics, neuromuscular control, and anterior cruciate ligament injury risk: a systematic review.Muscles Ligaments Tendons J. 2017;7(1):136-146. doi:10.11138/mltj/2017.7.1.136Gray AM, Gugala Z, Baillargeon JG.Effects of oral contraceptive use on anterior cruciate ligament injury epidemiology.Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2016;48(4):648-54. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000000806American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Combined hormonal birth control: pill, patch, and ring.Planned Parenthood.What are the benefits of the birth control pill?.Planned Parenthood.How safe is the birth control pill?Mu E, Kulkarni J.Hormonal contraception and mood disorders.Aust Prescr.2022;45(3):75-79. doi:10.18773/austprescr.2022.025UConn Health.7 Guidelines for injury prevention.Harvard Health Publishing.Muscle strain.

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Sports injuries.

Rodriguez LA 2nd, Liu Y, Soedirdjo SDH, Thakur B, Dhaher YY.Oral contraception use and musculotendinous injury in young female patients: a database study.Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2024;56(3):511-519. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000003334

Balachandar V, Marciniak JL, Wall O, Balachandar C.Effects of the menstrual cycle on lower-limb biomechanics, neuromuscular control, and anterior cruciate ligament injury risk: a systematic review.Muscles Ligaments Tendons J. 2017;7(1):136-146. doi:10.11138/mltj/2017.7.1.136

Gray AM, Gugala Z, Baillargeon JG.Effects of oral contraceptive use on anterior cruciate ligament injury epidemiology.Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2016;48(4):648-54. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000000806

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Combined hormonal birth control: pill, patch, and ring.

Planned Parenthood.What are the benefits of the birth control pill?.

Planned Parenthood.How safe is the birth control pill?

Mu E, Kulkarni J.Hormonal contraception and mood disorders.Aust Prescr.2022;45(3):75-79. doi:10.18773/austprescr.2022.025

UConn Health.7 Guidelines for injury prevention.

Harvard Health Publishing.Muscle strain.

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