--- title: Does yoga or calcium help reduce PMS symptoms in medical students? description: Both yoga and calcium reduced the number and severity of PMS symptoms over 3 months, while the control group had no improvement. This is a small study, so lar url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/comparing-the-effects-of-yoga-oral-calcium-administration-in-alleviating-2016/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does yoga or calcium help reduce PMS symptoms in medical students? Survey study, 2016 # Does yoga or calcium help reduce PMS symptoms in medical students? Both yoga and calcium reduced the number and severity of PMS symptoms over 3 months, while the control group had no improvement. This is a small study, so larger studies are needed to confirm the benefits. Moderate study design 58 female medical students aged 18-22 with PMS and regular menstrual cycles ## What they did 58 female medical students aged 18-22 with PMS were divided into three groups. One group did yoga (45 minutes daily, 5 days a week for 3 months). Another took calcium tablets (500 mg daily for 3 months). A third group received no treatment. Students rated their symptoms before and after. ## What they found The yoga group and the calcium group both showed significant decreases in the number and severity of premenstrual symptoms. The control group showed no significant change. ## What it means for you Both regular yoga practice and daily calcium supplements appear to reduce PMS symptoms in medical students. However, this is a small study with only about 20 students in each treatment group, so larger studies are needed to be confident these work for other women. 45 minutes daily yoga duration 500 mg daily calcium dose 3 months treatment length ## About the study Original title Comparing the Effects of Yoga & Oral Calcium Administration in Alleviating Symptoms of Premenstrual Syndrome in Medical Undergraduates Authors Bharati M Journal Journal of caring sciences Year 2016 Study design Survey study Participants 65 What was tested Yoga (45 minutes daily, 5 days a week, 3 months) or calcium carbonate (500 mg daily, 3 months) Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.15171/jcs.2016.019](https://doi.org/10.15171/jcs.2016.019) Original abstract Introduction: Medical undergraduates are heavily burdened by their curriculum. The females, in addition, suffer from vivid affective or somatic premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms such as bloating, mastalgia, insomnia, fatigue, mood swings, irritability, and depression. The present study was proposed to attenuate the symptoms of PMS by simple lifestyle measures like yoga and/or oral calcium. Methods: 65 medical female students (18-22 years) with a regular menstrual cycle were asked to self-rate their symptoms, along with their severity, in a validated questionnaire for two consecutive menstrual cycles. Fifty-eight students were found to have PMS. Twenty girls were given yoga training (45 minutes daily, five days a week, for three months). Another group of 20 was given oral tablets of calcium carbonate daily (500 mg, for three months) and rest 18 girl served as control group. Data were analyzed by SPSS ver.13 software. Results: The yoga and calcium groups showed a significant decrease in number and severity of premenstrual symptoms whereas in the control group there was not the significant difference. Conclusion: Encouraging a regular practice of yoga or taking a tablet of calcium daily in the medical schools can decrease the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Bloating, breast tenderness and physical symptoms](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-physical-symptoms/)[Exercise and yoga](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-exercise/)[Calcium](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-calcium/)[Students and academic performance](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-education/) 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 Randomised trial, 2003 What treatments work for PMS and PMDD? Cohort study, 2023 Does recreational physical exercise reduce premenstrual symptoms in teenage girls? Randomised trial, 2026 Is Pilates exercise more effective than stretching for reducing PMS symptoms? Survey study, 2025 Do stretching and relaxation exercises reduce PMS symptoms in adolescent girls? Survey study, 2024 What types of premenstrual syndrome exist and how common are they? Survey study, 2023 What percentage of women aged 20-35 have PMS symptoms and what types are most common? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗