---
title: Do women in different menstrual phases respond to stress differently than men?
description: Yes. Men showed stronger hormonal stress responses than women. However, women in the luteal phase reported feeling more stressed and showed greater emotional
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/cardiovascular-hormonal-and-emotional-responses-to-the-tsst-in-relation-to-sex-2010/
---

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- Do women in different menstrual phases respond to stress differently than men?

Survey study, 2010

# Do women in different menstrual phases respond to stress differently than men?

Yes. Men showed stronger hormonal stress responses than women. However, women in the luteal phase reported feeling more stressed and showed greater emotional stress hormone responses than women in the follicular phase.

 Early or limited evidence

28 men, 29 follicular-phase women, and 23 luteal-phase women

## What they did

Tested 28 men and women in two menstrual phases (29 in the follicular phase, 23 in the luteal phase) using a standardized stress test. Measured stress hormones in saliva and blood.

## What they found

Men had greater cortisol responses to stress than women in either phase. Luteal women reported the greatest subjective feelings of stress and showed greater allopregnanolone responses. Follicular women showed reduced noradrenaline responses to stress. People who felt stress most intensely also showed larger hormone responses to stress.

## What it means for you

Men's bodies respond more strongly to stress with certain hormones, but women in the luteal phase feel stressed more intensely emotionally. This suggests the menstrual cycle changes how both body and mind react to stress. This is a laboratory study using a single artificial stressor, so real-world stress reactions may differ.

28

men

29

follicular-phase women

23

luteal-phase women

## About the study

Original title Cardiovascular, hormonal, and emotional responses to the TSST in relation to sex and menstrual cycle phase Authors Childs E, Dlugos A, De Wit H Journal Psychophysiology Year 2010 Study design Survey study Participants 29 What was tested Trier Social Stress Test and control task Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8986.2009.00961.x](https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8986.2009.00961.x)

## Topics

[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Stress](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-stress/)[Neurosteroids (allopregnanolone)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-neurosteroids/)[Pregnancy and postpartum](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-postpartum/)

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