Case-control study, 2017
Do anxiety levels differ in soccer players with and without PMS?
Yes. Players with PMS had significantly higher anxiety levels than those without (p = 0.002). A chemical called IL-10 may help protect against anxiety, but this protection didn't work the same way in players with PMS.
What they did
52 female soccer players (average age 19.8 years) kept daily symptom records for 3 months. Researchers measured anxiety using a questionnaire and IL-10 (an anti-inflammatory chemical) in urine samples taken during the follicular and luteal phases and before and after a simulated game.
What they found
Players with PMS had significantly higher anxiety than players without PMS (p = 0.002). In players without PMS, IL-10 levels dropped significantly before the game during the luteal phase compared to the follicular phase (p = 0.02, r = -0.50). In players with PMS, IL-10 and anxiety were positively linked after the game during the luteal phase (p = 0.04, r = 0.36).
What it means for you
IL-10 may protect against anxiety in athletes without PMS, but this protective effect doesn't appear in those with PMS. The study was small and limited to female soccer players, so results may not apply to all women with PMS.
52
Study participants
p = 0.002
Anxiety difference (PMS vs non-PMS)
r = -0.50
IL-10 correlation in non-PMS
About the study
- Original title
- Relationship between Anxiety and Interleukin 10 in Female Soccer Players with and Without Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)
- Authors
- Foster R, Vaisberg M, Araújo MP et al.
- Journal
- Revista brasileira de ginecologia e obstetricia : revista da Federacao Brasileira das Sociedades de Ginecologia e Obstetricia
- Year
- 2017
- Study design
- Case-control study
- What was tested
- IL-10 and anxiety measurement during menstrual cycle phases and simulated game
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1055/s-0037-1606244
Topics
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