--- title: Do athletic students have less PMS and period pain than non-athletic students? description: Athletic and non-athletic students have similar rates of PMS. Nearly all students in both groups experience period pain. Athletes reported somewhat more pain url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/comparison-of-athletes-and-sedentary-students-in-terms-of-premenstrual-syndrome-2020/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Do athletic students have less PMS and period pain than non-athletic students? Survey study, 2020 # Do athletic students have less PMS and period pain than non-athletic students? Athletic and non-athletic students have similar rates of PMS. Nearly all students in both groups experience period pain. Athletes reported somewhat more pain intensity than non-athletes, but the overall PMS severity scores were similar between groups. Moderate study design 341 university students: some from a sports college, some from a nursing program in Turkey ## What they did Researchers compared 341 university students from two groups: some who played sports and some who were sedentary. They measured PMS severity and period pain using questionnaires in May 2016. ## What they found Period pain was common in both groups: 92.3% of sedentary students and 92.5% of athletes. PMS was reported in 74.6% of sedentary students and 72.7% of athletes. Average PMS severity scores were similar between groups (118.00 in sedentary versus 120.93 in athletes with no significant difference). Period pain intensity scores were higher in athletes (6.15) than sedentary students (5.54), and this difference was significant. ## What it means for you This is a cross-sectional study, so it cannot prove whether exercise protects from PMS or if people with PMS choose not to exercise. Both groups had very high rates of these problems, suggesting they are common in young women regardless of activity level. The higher pain scores in athletes might reflect either that exercise worsens pain or that athletes are more willing to report it. 341 students compared 92.3-92.5% had period pain 74.6-72.7% had PMS ## About the study Original title Comparison of Athletes and Sedentary Students in Terms of Premenstrual Syndrome and Dysmenorrhea Authors Bahtışen Kartal, Aygül Kıssal, Mustafa Kaya Journal Ordu Üniversitesi Hemşirelik Çalışmaları Dergisi Year 2020 Study design Survey study Participants 341 Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.38108/ouhcd.732559](https://doi.org/10.38108/ouhcd.732559) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Dysmenorrhea and period pain](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-dysmenorrhea/)[Students and academic performance](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-education/)[Athletes and sport](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-athletes/) 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 Survey study, 2019 What lifestyle and sleep habits are linked to PMS in teenage girls? Survey study, 2016 Does PMS increase the risk of stress fractures in teenage athletes? Cohort study, 1984 What affects menstrual patterns in teenage girls? Survey study, 1964 How common are mood and physical changes around menstruation? Systematic review, 2025 How common are PMS, PMDD, and painful periods in nursing students, and do they affect their schooling? Systematic review, 2025 Does teaching adolescent girls about their menstrual cycle and health help reduce period pain and PMS? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗