Cohort study, 2026
Does recreational exercise affect menstrual health and PMS risk?
No. The study found no meaningful link between exercise amount or intensity and PMS in 719 recreational exercisers. Higher light activity had a tiny association with irregular periods.
What they did
An online survey of 719 Swiss women aged 18+ who were not pregnant and not using hormonal contraceptives, conducted May-June 2023. Women self-reported their exercise (light, moderate, vigorous intensity and total hours per week) and menstrual health including PMS, oligomenorrhea, and secondary amenorrhea. Logistic regression was used to test associations.
What they found
Among 719 women (mean age 29.2, mean 367 min/week of moderate-vigorous activity), PMS occurred in 15.9%, oligomenorrhea in 17.8%, and secondary amenorrhea in 2.9%. No association was found between exercise intensity or volume and PMS or loss of periods. Light activity showed a small association with oligomenorrhea but the effect was very small.
What it means for you
For recreational exercisers, the amount of exercise does not meaningfully affect PMS or menstrual cycle. Recreational exercise appears safe and won't worsen PMS or cause period problems. Main limitations are that this is a single snapshot survey from Switzerland with self-reported data, which may not apply to all women or countries.
719
women studied
15.9%
had PMS
367 min/week
average exercise time
About the study
- Original title
- Self-reported physical activity intensity and training volume are not related to menstrual health among recreationally active Swiss females
- Authors
- Kubica C, Zimmermann S, Nigg CR
- Journal
- BMC women's health
- Year
- 2026
- Study design
- Cohort study
- Participants
- 719
- What was tested
- None - observational study.
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1186/s12905-026-04503-1
Topics
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