Lab study, 1991
Does your mood and how your body feels change during your menstrual cycle?
Yes. Both women with normal cycles and those with irregular cycles reported more negative moods and worse physical feelings in the premenstrual phase than in the middle of their cycle.
What they did
20 women kept daily diaries recording mood, health feelings, and daily events (positive and negative) for one complete menstrual cycle. Researchers also measured hormone levels and used ultrasound to track ovulation and cycle changes. They compared women with truly normal cycles (regular 28±5 day cycles with typical findings) to those with irregular or abnormal cycles.
What they found
Only 6 out of 20 women actually had a truly normal cycle by strict definition. Both groups reported more negative body feelings and worse moods during the premenstrual phase compared to the middle phase. Women with normal cycles reported fewer negative body sensations overall and more positive daily experiences, but reported the same number of negative daily events as women with irregular cycles.
What it means for you
Premenstrual mood changes and physical symptoms are common even in women with normal cycles. The main limitation is that mood was tracked only through diary entries rather than clinical assessment, and each woman was monitored for just one cycle.
20
women enrolled
6
with truly normal cycles
28±5 days
length of normal cycle
About the study
- Original title
- [Reactions to stress during the normal menstrual cycle]
- Authors
- Schulze C, Boes M, Deichert U et al.
- Journal
- Geburtshilfe und Frauenheilkunde
- Year
- 1991
- Study design
- Lab study
- Participants
- 20
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1055/s-2008-1026217
Topics
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