--- title: Does the menstrual cycle phase affect how the body responds to stress? description: Yes. Women in the luteal phase (second half of the cycle) showed higher cortisol responses to a stress test than women in the follicular phase. url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/impact-of-gender-menstrual-cycle-phase-and-oral-contraceptives-on-the-activity-1999/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does the menstrual cycle phase affect how the body responds to stress? Survey study, 1999 # Does the menstrual cycle phase affect how the body responds to stress? Yes. Women in the luteal phase (second half of the cycle) showed higher cortisol responses to a stress test than women in the follicular phase. Early or limited evidence 81 healthy adults: 20 men, 19 women in follicular phase, 21 in luteal phase, 21 on oral contraceptives ## What they did Researchers exposed 81 healthy adults (20 men, 19 women in their follicular phase, 21 in their luteal phase, and 21 taking oral contraceptives) to a stress test and an ACTH hormone injection. They measured cortisol levels multiple times throughout the day. ## What they found Women in the luteal phase had higher salivary cortisol responses to both the stress test and the ACTH injection compared to women in the follicular phase. Women on oral contraceptives showed cortisol patterns similar to women in the follicular phase. ## What it means for you Menstrual cycle phase appears to influence how the body's hormones respond to stress, with the luteal phase showing a stronger response. The main limit is that all participants were healthy adults without reported PMS or PMDD symptoms, so it's unclear if these hormone differences occur in women with menstrual cycle disorders. 81 Total adults in study 21 Women in luteal phase 19 Women in follicular phase ## About the study Original title Impact of gender, menstrual cycle phase, and oral contraceptives on the activity of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis Authors Kirschbaum C, Kudielka BM, Gaab J et al. Journal Psychosomatic medicine Year 1999 Study design Survey study Participants 21 What was tested Stress test and ACTH hormone injection Read the paper [doi.org/10.1097/00006842-199903000-00006](https://doi.org/10.1097/00006842-199903000-00006) ## Topics [Sleep and insomnia](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-sleep/)[Stress](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-stress/)[Oral contraceptives and drospirenone](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-hormonal-contraceptives/) 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 Survey study, 2025 Do menstrual problems and poor sleep affect mood and thinking in teenage girls? Non-randomised trial, 2014 Does the menstrual cycle phase change how one night of poor sleep affects the stress hormone cortisol? Survey study, 2010 Does sexual interest change across the cycle and what role do pain, sleep and hormones play? Cohort study, 2026 Does sleeping longer improve mood and fitness in elite athletes? Case-control study, 2014 How common is severe period pain and what causes it? Survey study, 2026 What dietary, lifestyle, and psychological factors are associated with PMS in young women? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗