---
title: Do diet and exercise affect menstrual symptoms? | Niyora
description: Yes. During the time before and during your period, higher carbohydrate intake was linked to worse mood and less activity. Lower protein was linked to better
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/macronutrient-intake-eating-habits-and-exercise-as-moderators-of-menstrual-1995/
---

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- Do diet and exercise affect menstrual symptoms?

Survey study, 1995

# Do diet and exercise affect menstrual symptoms?

Yes. During the time before and during your period, higher carbohydrate intake was linked to worse mood and less activity. Lower protein was linked to better mood, and more aerobic exercise was linked to fewer symptoms.

 Early or limited evidence

26 healthy women with normal periods and no period complaints

## What they did

26 women kept food and exercise diaries for a full menstrual cycle and filled out questionnaires about menstrual symptoms. Doctors checked hormone levels and body temperature to confirm ovulation and menstruation.

## What they found

During the premenstrual and menstrual phases, women had more pain, water retention, bad mood, behavior changes, and arousal. Higher carbohydrate intake was linked to worse mood and less activity. Lower protein was linked to better mood. Overeating or dieting was linked to more water retention and other symptoms. More aerobic exercise was linked to less water retention and other symptoms.

## What it means for you

Diet and exercise may help manage menstrual symptoms, especially before and during your period. The study only included healthy women with no period complaints, so it may not apply to everyone. It did not test whether changing diet or exercise actually improves symptoms.

26

women studied

## About the study

Original title Macronutrient intake, eating habits, and exercise as moderators of menstrual distress in healthy women Authors Johnson WG, Carr-Nangle RE, Bergeron KC Journal Psychosomatic medicine Year 1995 Study design Survey study Read the paper [doi.org/10.1097/00006842-199507000-00003](https://doi.org/10.1097/00006842-199507000-00003)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Appetite and food cravings](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-food-cravings/)[Bloating, breast tenderness and physical symptoms](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-physical-symptoms/)[Exercise and yoga](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-exercise/)[Diet and nutrition](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-diet/)

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