Skip to content

Survey study, 2009

Does PMS affect sports performance in female athletes?

About half of female soccer athletes (47.32%) had PMS, and those with PMS felt their sports performance was noticeably affected. Athletes with more symptoms reported greater impact.

Moderate study design 112 female indoor soccer athletes aged 18-31 in Brazil

What they did

Cross-sectional study of 112 female indoor soccer athletes aged 18 to 31 years in Brazil. Researchers assessed PMS diagnosis and how much athletes felt it affected their sports performance.

What they found

47.32% had PMS. Athletes with PMS felt 1.71 times more likely to experience performance impact compared to those without PMS. Symptoms affecting performance included depression, irritability, breast tenderness, trouble concentrating, back pain, and tiredness. Athletes with 6 to 9 symptoms had a risk ratio of 3.20 compared to those with fewer symptoms.

What it means for you

PMS notably affects how female athletes perceive their sports performance, particularly those with more symptoms. This suggests PMS deserves attention in sports medicine. The study only included soccer athletes so may not apply to other sports.

47.32%

Had PMS

1.71

Risk ratio for performance impact

3.20

Risk ratio with 6 to 9 symptoms

About the study

Original title
Premenstrual syndrome and perception of impact on sport performance from brazilian indoor soccer athletes
Authors
Patrícia Aparecida Gaion, Lenamar Fiorese Vieira, Celene Maria Longo da Silva
Journal
LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas)
Year
2009
Study design
Survey study
Participants
112
What was tested
None. Observational study of PMS and sports performance perception.
Open access
Yes

Topics