Cohort study, 2007
Does regular aerobic exercise help reduce premenstrual symptoms?
Yes. Women who exercised regularly had fewer premenstrual symptoms, especially pain and water retention, compared to sedentary women. Exercise also lowered some hormone levels related to premenstrual symptoms.
What they did
Researchers compared 20 women who exercised regularly with 34 sedentary women, tracking symptoms daily throughout one complete menstrual cycle and measuring hormone levels in urine. Then 14 sedentary women did 24 weeks of moderate aerobic exercise, and researchers measured their symptoms and hormones before and after.
What they found
Women who exercised had lower pain symptoms and lower estrone glucuronide (a hormone) compared to sedentary women. After 24 weeks of exercise, the sedentary women showed reduced overall premenstrual distress, especially lower water retention and pain scores. Exercise also lowered both measured hormone levels. In both groups, higher progesterone-related hormone levels were linked to loneliness, crying, and skin blemishes.
What it means for you
Regular aerobic exercise may help reduce premenstrual symptoms, especially if your symptoms are related to progesterone changes. The benefit may come from exercise lowering hormone levels during the premenstrual phase. The studies were small and focused on specific hormones.
24 weeks
Exercise training duration
14
Women in exercise training program
20
Regular exercisers compared
About the study
- Original title
- Exercise training effects on premenstrual distress and ovarian steroid hormones
- Authors
- Stoddard JL, Dent CW, Shames L et al.
- Journal
- European journal of applied physiology
- Year
- 2007
- Study design
- Cohort study
- Participants
- 34
- What was tested
- 24-week moderate aerobic exercise program
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1007/s00421-006-0313-7
Topics
Related studies
Randomised trial, 2018
Does swimming reduce premenstrual syndrome symptoms?
Survey study, 2015
Is neck and shoulder pain common after birth, and what increases the risk?
Cohort study, 2026
What menstrual and premenstrual problems do girls with intellectual disability experience?
Survey study, 2024
Does knowing about Ayurvedic yoga make teenage girls more interested in practicing it for PMS?
Survey study, 2023
What is PMS and PMDD, how common are they, and how are they usually treated?
Survey study, 2020
How do diet and lifestyle factors relate to PMS and PMDD in medical students?