Randomised trial, 2026
Does aerobic or resistance exercise reduce anxiety in women with PMS?
Both aerobic and resistance exercise reduced anxiety and improved emotional control in women with PMS. Resistance exercise was superior to aerobic exercise for reducing anxiety.
What they did
A randomized controlled trial with 60 female university students with PMS split into aerobic exercise, resistance exercise, or control groups. The exercise groups completed 8 weeks of moderate-intensity training. Anxiety and emotional response were measured before and after using mood scales and brain imaging.
What they found
Compared to baseline, both exercise groups showed significant reductions in anxiety scores and faster reaction times on an emotional task. Compared to control, both exercise groups had lower anxiety scores and faster reaction times. The resistance exercise group showed lower anxiety scores and faster reaction times than the aerobic group and greater brain activity in the prefrontal cortex during negative conditions.
What it means for you
Exercise, especially resistance training, may help reduce anxiety in women with PMS by changing both psychological symptoms and brain function. The study is limited to university students and examined one 8-week intervention.
56
participants analyzed
8
weeks of training
19
per group (control, aerobic, resistance)
About the study
- Original title
- Effects of aerobic vs. resistance exercise on anxiety reduction and emotional interference in young women with premenstrual syndrome: A randomized controlled fNIRS study
- Authors
- Wu S, Ma Q, Zhan S et al.
- Journal
- Journal of affective disorders
- Year
- 2026
- Study design
- Randomised trial
- Participants
- 56
- What was tested
- 8 weeks of moderate-intensity aerobic or resistance exercise
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2026.121988
Topics
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