Systematic review, 2025
Does the menstrual cycle affect how your body and emotions respond to stress?
There is modest evidence that during the luteal phase (the second half of your cycle), you show greater heart rate changes and emotional reactions to stressful situations. This may explain some PMS symptoms.
What they did
Systematic review of 20 studies. Examined how heart rate patterns and emotional reactions changed during lab stress tasks at different points in the menstrual cycle.
What they found
Modest support for increased heart stress response (sympathetic activation) during the luteal phase and in response to lab stressors. Greater emotional reactivity during the luteal phase. These patterns of heart rate and emotional changes during the luteal phase may underlie menstrual-related mood and physical symptoms.
What it means for you
During the luteal phase (before your period), your body may be more reactive to stress physically (heart rate) and emotionally. This could explain why PMS symptoms feel worse with stress. Main limitations: the evidence was modest (not very strong), and studies used different methods.
20
Studies reviewed
28
Records identified
About the study
- Original title
- Cardiac Autonomic and Affective Reactivity to Laboratory Stressors across the Menstrual Cycle: A Systematic Review
- Authors
- Delcourt ML, Copenhaver E, Cruess DG
- Journal
- Behavioral medicine (Washington, D.C.)
- Year
- 2025
- Study design
- Systematic review
- What was tested
- None (observational study)
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1080/08964289.2025.2451920
Topics
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