In a study published by the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (2022; 36 [11], 3074–80) researchers from Texas A&M University and University of Houston-Victoria examined the effects of oral contraceptives on young healthy women ages 18–29 during a 10-week whole-body resistance training program. The study demonstrated that women who did not take oral contraceptives gained significantly more lean body mass.  Researchers concluded that use of oral contraceptives impairs lean mass gains and is linked with lower DHEA levels and higher cortisol levels.