Survey study, 2020
Does heart rate change depending on which phase of your menstrual cycle you're in?
Yes, resting heart rate increases during the phase after ovulation compared to the phase before it. The study was small and included only healthy young women without PMS, so we don't know if this affects women with PMS symptoms.
What they did
Cross-sectional study of 19 regularly menstruating university students aged 18-24 in South India. Researchers measured heart rate and nervous system activity at two points in the menstrual cycle: before ovulation and after ovulation.
What they found
Resting heart rate was higher in the phase after ovulation (secretory phase) compared to the phase before ovulation (proliferative phase). The nervous system showed more activity from the revving-up branch during the phase after ovulation and more activity from the calming-down branch during the phase before ovulation, though these differences were smaller.
What it means for you
Hormones that fluctuate during your menstrual cycle affect your heart rate and how your nervous system works. This might help explain why some women feel different symptoms at different points in their cycle, but this study was very small and looked only at healthy women without PMS.
19
participants
18-24
age range in years
About the study
- Original title
- Heart rate variability in different phases of menstrual cycle among healthy medical students of a teaching institution, South India
- Authors
- Tinju James, Nayana Sunil
- Journal
- National Journal of Physiology Pharmacy and Pharmacology
- Year
- 2020
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 19
- What was tested
- None
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.5455/njppp.2020.10.03064202022032020
Topics
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