Cohort study, 2024
How does physical activity relate to PMS in women?
There is a clear link between physical activity and PMS severity. Women who were more physically active and had normal weight appeared to have less severe PMS.
What they did
One hundred Egyptian women with PMS were assessed for physical activity level, body weight, aerobic fitness, anaerobic power, and menstrual pain. PMS severity was measured and compared with these factors.
What they found
There was a clear relationship between physical activity and PMS severity. Women with painful menstrual periods had worse PMS. Marital status did not affect PMS severity. Physical activity levels and body weight appear to influence PMS, suggesting that being active and maintaining normal body weight could reduce severity.
What it means for you
In this Egyptian population, women who were more active and had healthier weights tended to have less severe PMS. However, this was not a controlled trial, so we cannot confirm exercise directly causes PMS reduction. More research is needed to confirm these connections in other populations.
100
Egyptian women studied
About the study
- Original title
- Exploring the physical activity levels of egyptian women with premenstrual syndrome: a preliminary study
- Authors
- Mai M. A. Shehata, Dalia M. Kamel, Nisreen A. Helmy et al.
- Journal
- Pedagogy of Physical Culture and Sports
- Year
- 2024
- Study design
- Cohort study
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.15561/26649837.2024.0502
Original abstract
Background and Study Aim. Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) affects a significant proportion of women, impacting their daily lives and well-being. The association between physical activity levels, the prevalence of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and the severity of PMS remains debatable. Therefore, this study aimed to identify physical activity levels among a cohort of Egyptian females with PMS. Material and Methods. This study included one hundred females with PMS. Physical activity levels, anaerobic power, aerobic capacity, BMI, and dysmenorrhea were investigated. PMS severity was assessed using the Premenstrual Syndrome Scale (PMSS), and the females' physical activity was evaluated using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). The 1-mile submaximal test and the Running-Based Anaerobic Sprint Test (RAST) were used to assess aerobic capacity and anaerobic power, respectively. Results. The findings revealed a significant association between PMS severity and physical activity (p 0.05). There was no significant association between PMS severity and marital status (p > 0.05), whereas there was a significant association with dysmenorrhea (p 0.05). Conclusions. It can be concluded that physical activity levels and BMI may affect PMS. Therefore, being physically active and maintaining a normal-range BMI might reduce PMS severity.
Reproduced under CC-BY.
Topics
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