--- title: How common is PMS in elite female athletes, and do training or lifestyle factors cause it? description: 14.55% of elite female athletes have moderate to severe PMS. No specific modifiable risk factors were found. 76.6% of athletes felt their symptoms interfered url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/prevalence-and-risk-factors-for-premenstrual-syndrome-in-korean-female-national-2020/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - How common is PMS in elite female athletes, and do training or lifestyle factors cause it? Survey study, 2020 # How common is PMS in elite female athletes, and do training or lifestyle factors cause it? 14.55% of elite female athletes have moderate to severe PMS. No specific modifiable risk factors were found. 76.6% of athletes felt their symptoms interfered with performance, but only 5 out of 18 athletes with PMS saw a doctor. Early or limited evidence 124 elite female athletes across 17 sports in Korea, mean age 24.36 years ## What they did Cross-sectional survey of 124 elite female athletes across 17 sports at national training centers in Korea, mean age 24.36 years. Researchers diagnosed PMS using the Premenstrual Symptom Screening Tool. ## What they found 18 of 124 athletes (14.55%) met criteria for moderate to severe PMS, and 1 met criteria for premenstrual discomfort. Athletes with PMS reported fatigue (100%), irritability (78%), difficulty concentrating (78%), joint and muscle pain (56%), bloating (56%), and weight gain (56%). 76.6% felt symptoms interfered with performance. Age, type of sport, BMI, training time, menarche age, and coffee and alcohol consumption were not significantly related to PMS. Only 5 of 18 athletes with moderate or severe PMS visited a doctor. ## What it means for you About 1 in 7 elite athletes has PMS affecting their performance, but many do not seek help. Common lifestyle and training factors do not explain who develops PMS in athletes. The study involved only Korean athletes, so results may differ in other populations. 14.55% had moderate to severe PMS 124 athletes surveyed 76.6% felt interference with performance ## About the study Original title Prevalence And Risk Factors For Premenstrual Syndrome In Korean Female National Athletes Authors Tae Im Yi, MunJung Bae Journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise Year 2020 Study design Survey study Participants 124 What was tested None. This was a survey study. Read the paper [doi.org/10.1249/01.mss.0000680648.69621.a1](https://doi.org/10.1249/01.mss.0000680648.69621.a1) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Anxiety and tension](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-anxiety/)[Irritability and anger](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-irritability-anger/)[Bloating, breast tenderness and physical symptoms](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-physical-symptoms/)[Alcohol, smoking and substance use](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-substance-use/)[Athletes and sport](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-athletes/) 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, 1964 How common are mood and physical changes around menstruation? Survey study, 1994 How many different ways do researchers measure PMS in clinical trials? Study, 2026 What are premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder? Survey study, 2025 How common is PMDD in Brazilian women and what are the most frequent symptoms? Survey study, 2022 What diet, stress, and lifestyle factors are linked to PMS symptoms? Randomised trial, 2021 Does hypnotherapy reduce pain and emotional distress in women with PMDD? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗