--- title: Does being physically active instead of sedentary reduce PMS symptoms? description: Active women reported PMS less often than sedentary women (63.3% vs 86.7%), but this difference was not statistically significant, so it is not proof that exe url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/assessment-of-the-symptoms-of-premenstrual-syndrome-in-physically-active-and-2017/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does being physically active instead of sedentary reduce PMS symptoms? Case-control study, 2017 # Does being physically active instead of sedentary reduce PMS symptoms? Active women reported PMS less often than sedentary women (63.3% vs 86.7%), but this difference was not statistically significant, so it is not proof that exercise prevents PMS. Early or limited evidence 60 women aged 18 to 35, some physically active (from fitness centers) and some sedentary (from a nutrition clinic) ## What they did A case-control study compared 60 women aged 18 to 35, active (from two fitness centers) or sedentary (from a nutrition clinic). Each was assessed four times, in the follicular and luteal phases over two months, using PMS and diet questionnaires, body measurements, and bioimpedance. ## What they found PMS occurred in 63.3% of active women versus 86.7% of sedentary women (p=0.074, not significant). The sedentary group ate more carbohydrates before vs after menstruation (281.9 vs 252.1 grams, p=0.001) and more fat (74.4 vs 63.2 grams, p=0.001). The sedentary group had higher calorie intake premenstrually (43.3%) than postmenstrually (23.3%), p=0.007. The active group showed low calorie intake in 53.3% premenstrually vs 33.3% postmenstrually, p=0.039. Overall the sedentary group showed more frequent PMS and more calorie, carbohydrate, lipid and sodium intake. ## What it means for you Sedentary women seemed to eat more and report more PMS than active women, but the key PMS comparison was not statistically significant, and the study is small (60 women) and observational, so it cannot prove exercise causes less PMS, only that diet and activity patterns differed between groups. 63.3% PMS rate, active group 86.7% PMS rate, sedentary group 60 women Sample size ## About the study Original title Assessment of the Symptoms of Premenstrual Syndrome in Physically Active and Sedentary Adult Women Authors Luisa Muller Arruda, Luana Selaimen Martins, Thaís Rodrigues Moreira Journal Journal of Nutritional Therapeutics Year 2017 Study design Case-control study Participants 60 What was tested Comparison of physically active versus sedentary lifestyle (no treatment given) Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.6000/1929-5634.2016.05.04.2](https://doi.org/10.6000/1929-5634.2016.05.04.2) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Diet and nutrition](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-diet/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Cohort study, 2026 Do sleep, exercise, and diet quality affect period pain, heavy bleeding, and PMS in midlife? Systematic review, 2025 Do nutritional interventions help with emotional symptoms of PMS? Systematic review, 2025 How common are PMS, PMDD, and painful periods in nursing students, and do they affect their schooling? Systematic review, 2022 Do herbal medicines and nutritional supplements help premenstrual syndrome symptoms? Randomised trial, 2022 Does curcumin with piperine reduce PMS symptoms by lowering inflammation? Randomised trial, 2022 Do herbal medicines and nutritional supplements help relieve PMS symptoms? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗