Non-randomised trial, 1987
Does exercise reduce premenstrual symptoms?
Yes. Women who started running or trained for a marathon had fewer premenstrual symptoms after 6 months. Women who did not exercise had no change.
What they did
21 women participated over 6 months. Eight sedentary women began running, seven runners trained for a marathon, and six normally active women kept their usual activity. Each month they reported premenstrual symptoms using questionnaires or daily diaries. Basal body temperature, weight, and hormone levels were also monitored.
What they found
Sedentary women increased running from zero to an average of 76 km per cycle. They had decreases in breast symptoms, fluid retention, and personal stress. Marathon trainers had decreases in fluid retention and depression, and anxiety tended to decrease. Non-exercising women had no symptom changes. No group showed changes in hormone levels, menstrual cycle length, or weight.
What it means for you
Exercise appears to reduce premenstrual symptoms through an unknown mechanism since hormones and weight did not change. The study is very small with unequal groups and no random assignment, so more research is needed.
76 km per cycle
average running distance reached by sedentary women
6 months
duration of exercise training
21
total women studied
About the study
- Original title
- Conditioning exercise decreases premenstrual symptoms: a prospective, controlled 6-month trial
- Authors
- Prior JC, Vigna Y, Sciarretta D et al.
- Journal
- Fertility and sterility
- Year
- 1987
- Study design
- Non-randomised trial
- What was tested
- 6 months of conditioning exercise
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/s0015-0282(16)59045-1
Topics
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