Study, 1976
Do mood and body changes happen at the same time in the menstrual cycle?
Women experience more pain and water retention during their period and just before it, but their mood problems and stress responses are more strongly tied to what's happening in their lives than to their cycle. Men have more stable emotions and less pain throughout.
What they did
33 students (11 men, 11 women using birth control, and 11 women not using birth control) filled out daily reports for 35 days on what they were doing, stressful events, mood, and body changes like pain and water retention. The researchers compared the three groups across three phases of the menstrual cycle.
What they found
Men reported more stable but less positive experiences than women. Men had low, stable pain and water retention throughout. Both groups of women reported increases in pain and water retention during their period and the week before. Negative mood, trouble concentrating, and stressful events were similar across all groups. However, stressful life events explained more of the negative mood changes than the cycle phase did, but the cycle phase better explained the pain and water retention.
What it means for you
Physical symptoms like pain and water retention are tied to the menstrual cycle, but negative mood seems more affected by what's happening in your life. This suggests treating emotional symptoms may need to focus on stress and life events, not just on cycle biology.
33
total students
35
days of tracking
11
in each group
About the study
- Original title
- Daily self-reports on activities, life events, moods, and somatic changes during the menstrual cycle
- Authors
- Wilcoxon LA, Schrader SL, Sherif CW
- Journal
- Psychosomatic medicine
- Year
- 1976
- Study design
- Study
- Participants
- 11
- What was tested
- Comparison of groups with different birth control use and daily tracking of activities, mood, and symptoms
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1097/00006842-197611000-00005
Topics
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