--- title: Does the menstrual cycle affect fitness performance? | Niyora description: No. Women with mild period-related symptoms performed similarly on fitness tests across all phases of their cycle, whether they trained regularly or not. url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/does-the-menstrual-cycle-phase-influence-physical-fitness-performance-in-2025/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does the menstrual cycle affect fitness performance? Survey study, 2025 # Does the menstrual cycle affect fitness performance? No. Women with mild period-related symptoms performed similarly on fitness tests across all phases of their cycle, whether they trained regularly or not. Early or limited evidence 16 women (8 athletes, 8 non-athletes) with mild period symptoms. ## What they did Tested 8 female athletes and 8 non-athlete women on seven fitness tests across three menstrual cycle phases, using body temperature to track the phases. ## What they found Physical symptoms like cramping varied across the cycle phases. For non-athletes, three mental symptoms changed across phases. However, fitness test performance did not differ between cycle phases in either group. Athletes performed better than non-athletes on most tests, regardless of the cycle phase. ## What it means for you Among women with mild period symptoms, the menstrual cycle has little impact on physical fitness performance. This matters for women who exercise - the cycle phase does not need to affect their training. The main limitation is that only 16 women were studied, and only those with mild symptoms. 16 Total participants 8 Athletes 8 Non-athletes ## About the study Original title Does The Menstrual Cycle Phase Influence Physical Fitness Performance In Athletes And Non-athlete Female University Students With Mild Menstrual-Related Symptoms? Authors Shin-Ichiro Moriyama, Daniel Almeida Marinho, Henrique Pereira Neiva et al. Journal The Open Sports Sciences Journal Year 2025 Study design Survey study Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.2174/011875399x414917251118094850](https://doi.org/10.2174/011875399x414917251118094850) Original abstract Introduction Previous studies have explored the influence of the menstrual cycle on various aspects of exercise performance. However, associations between menstrual cycle phases and fitness performance in women remain inconclusive. This study aimed to examine the effects of the menstrual cycle and premenstrual symptoms on physical fitness test outcomes among female university students with and without regular exercise habits. Methods Eighteen female athletes and 13 female non-athlete university students volunteered for this study. Only those who completed all test sessions were included in the final analysis, resulting in the analysis of data from eight athletes (height: 1.66 ± 0.04 m; weight: 57.1 ± 2.9 kg) and eight non-athletes (height: 1.62 ± 0.05 m; weight: 58.0 ± 6.7 kg). Basal body temperature was used to categorize the menstrual cycle into three phases: menstrual, follicular, and luteal. A validated questionnaire assessed physical and mental symptoms related to menstruation. Fitness tests included handgrip strength, number of sit-ups, sit-and-reach, number of side-steps, 1000-m run, 50-m sprint, and standing long jump. Results In both groups, physical symptoms differed significantly between the menstrual phase and other phases. Mental symptoms showed no significant changes in athletes, whereas three mental symptoms varied significantly in non-athletes. No significant interaction was observed between the group and menstrual cycle phase in any physical fitness measure. Athletes outperformed non-athletes in all tests, except for handgrip strength, regardless of the menstrual cycle phase. Discussion These findings suggest that among women with mild premenstrual symptoms, the menstrual cycle may have a limited impact on physical fitness, regardless of training status. These outcomes might be relevant for physical fitness professionals and researchers, improving the understanding of the effects of menstrual cycle phases on physical fitness and psychological symptoms in women. Conclusion The menstrual cycle appears to have a minimal impact on physical fitness test performance among female university students with mild menstrual symptoms, regardless of training status. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Exercise and yoga](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-exercise/)[Students and academic performance](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-education/)[Athletes and sport](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-athletes/) 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 Does the menstrual cycle phase affect how much physical activity women do? Study, 2023 Does martial arts exercise reduce PMS? Survey study, 2021 Does regular exercise reduce the severity of premenstrual syndrome in teenage girls? Survey study, 2021 Does managing stress, emotions, diet, exercise and sleep help PMS in female athletes? Survey study, 2015 Does regular running reduce PMS symptoms? Non-randomised trial, 2013 Does 8 weeks of aerobic exercise reduce PMS symptoms? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗