--- title: Does physical and mental work capacity change during the menstrual cycle? description: Physical exertion feels harder during menstruation and reaction time is slightly slower. Heart rate and oxygen use do not change. Overall mental work capacity url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/female-work-capacity-during-the-menstrual-cycle-physiological-and-psychological-1975/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does physical and mental work capacity change during the menstrual cycle? Study, 1975 # Does physical and mental work capacity change during the menstrual cycle? Physical exertion feels harder during menstruation and reaction time is slightly slower. Heart rate and oxygen use do not change. Overall mental work capacity does not clearly change. Early or limited evidence 12 healthy women with severe menstrual distress ## What they did Twelve women with severe menstrual distress were tested before, during, and after menstruation. Physical tests measured heart rate, breathing, and oxygen use while they exercised on a stationary bike at two different intensity levels. Mental tests measured attention, memory, reaction time, and other thinking skills. ## What they found Heart rate and oxygen use did not change during the cycle. Breathing during exercise was highest during menstruation. Women found exercise more tiring during menstruation than before or after. Reaction time was slightly slower during menstruation. Mental abilities did not show major changes across the cycle. ## What it means for you You might feel exercise is harder work during your period, even though your body's basic physical responses are mostly the same. This may be more about how it feels than actual changes in capacity. The study included only 12 women who all had severe symptoms, so results may not apply to all women. 12 women 40% and 70% exercise intensity levels tested ## About the study Original title Female work capacity during the menstrual cycle: physiological and psychological reactions Authors Gamberale F, Strindberg L, Wahlberg I Journal Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health Year 1975 Study design Study What was tested Observational - women were measured at different times in their cycle Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.2855](https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.2855) Original abstract Changes in physical and mental work capacity during the menstrual cycle were studied in 12 healthy woemen with severe menstrual distress. Physiological and psychological tests were performed before, during, and after menstruation. Heart rate, pulmonary ventilation, oxygen uptake, blood lactate concentration, and perceived exertion were measured during work on a bicycle ergometer ar two submaximal work loads corresponding to 40 and 70 %, respectively, of individual maximal oxygen uptake. Mental work capacity was studied with the aid of performance tests of psychological functions such as attention, short-term memory, perceptual speed, perception of time, and reaction time. No change in heart rate or oxygen uptake could be observed over the three phases of the menstrual cycle. However, pulmonary ventilation during work varied significantly. It was highest in the menstrual phase. At the same heart rate exercise on the bicycle ergometer was perceived as more exerting in the menstrual phase than in either the premenstrual or postmenstrual phase. Among the performance tests significant results were obtained only in a test of reaction time, which was slightly impaired during the menstrual phase. The results of the performance tests do not however support the assumption that menstruation affects a woman's mental work capacity. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Cognition, concentration and memory](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-cognition/)[Stigma, attitudes and culture](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-stigma-culture/) 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 Systematic review, 2026 Can digital tools help diagnose PMDD? Systematic review, 2025 Does how well women think change throughout their menstrual cycle? Cohort study, 2026 How do beliefs about control and ways of handling emotions affect distress before your period? Study, 2026 How does PMDD affect women's work and careers? Interview study, 2024 Do women with ADHD benefit from a group focused on the menstrual cycle? Randomised trial, 2023 What does research show about PMDD neurochemistry? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗