--- title: Does how well runners breathe and perform change during the menstrual cycle? description: Yes. Women had higher breathing rates, needed more oxygen, and were less efficient at running during the mid-luteal phase compared to the early follicular pha url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/menstrual-cycle-phase-and-running-economy-1997/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does how well runners breathe and perform change during the menstrual cycle? Survey study, 1997 # Does how well runners breathe and perform change during the menstrual cycle? Yes. Women had higher breathing rates, needed more oxygen, and were less efficient at running during the mid-luteal phase compared to the early follicular phase. Early or limited evidence 8 moderately-trained female runners with regular menstrual cycles ## What they did Researchers tested 8 moderately-trained female runners at five different phases of their menstrual cycle. At each phase, the women rested and ran at two different intensities while researchers measured breathing and oxygen use. They also completed a mood questionnaire. ## What they found Compared to the early follicular phase, during the mid-luteal phase, women had higher breathing rates at rest (12.4 vs 10.3) and while running (46.2 vs 42.2 at moderate speed, 68.8 vs 63.3 at high speed). They also reported more mood disturbance (127 vs 104), more depression (6 vs 3), more fatigue (9 vs 4), more confusion (7 vs 5), and less vigor (11 vs 19). At high-intensity running, efficiency was lower during mid-luteal (41.4) compared to early follicular (40.2). ## What it means for you The menstrual cycle affects how the body uses oxygen during exercise and how women feel. The main limits are the very small sample size and that all participants were trained runners, so results may not apply to inactive women or people with other fitness levels. 8 runners studied 12.4 vs 10.3 breathing rate at rest (mid-luteal vs early follicular) 41.4 vs 40.2 running efficiency at high intensity (mid-luteal vs early follicular) ## About the study Original title Menstrual cycle phase and running economy Authors Williams TJ, Krahenbuhl GS Journal Medicine and science in sports and exercise Year 1997 Study design Survey study What was tested Testing running efficiency and breathing across five menstrual cycle phases Read the paper [doi.org/10.1097/00005768-199712000-00010](https://doi.org/10.1097/00005768-199712000-00010) ## Topics [Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Fatigue and energy](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-fatigue/) 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 How do personality traits like neuroticism affect PMS severity and sexual satisfaction? Cohort study, 2024 How does sleep change across your menstrual cycle? Randomised trial, 2024 Does a banana drink with egg white reduce PMDD symptoms and improve mood? Survey study, 2024 Are menstrual cycle symptoms related to sleep problems and mental health in female athletes? Survey study, 2022 What factors are associated with irregular menstrual cycles and how do irregular cycles affect other symptoms? Study, 2022 Does having COVID-19 affect premenstrual syndrome symptoms? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗