--- title: Are irregular menstrual cycles linked to eating disorder risk in female athletes? description: Yes. Female athletes with irregular cycles had higher eating disorder risk than athletes with regular cycles. Non-athletes showed no such link. url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/food-attitudes-in-female-athletes-association-with-menstrual-cycle-length-2006/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Are irregular menstrual cycles linked to eating disorder risk in female athletes? Case-control study, 2006 # Are irregular menstrual cycles linked to eating disorder risk in female athletes? Yes. Female athletes with irregular cycles had higher eating disorder risk than athletes with regular cycles. Non-athletes showed no such link. Moderate study design 151 female athletes from 16 sports and 70 non-athlete female university controls ## What they did A case-control study comparing 151 female athletes from 16 sports with 70 non-athlete female controls. All completed surveys on eating disorder risk, body image, and menstrual cycle length over the past 6 months. Normal cycles were 26-32 days; irregular cycles were longer than 32 days. ## What they found Athletes had significantly more irregular cycles than non-athletes (29.1% vs 15.7%, P < 0.05). Among athletes only, those with irregular cycles had higher scores for eating disorder risk, body dissatisfaction, drive for thinness, and other measures compared to athletes with normal cycles. Non-athletes showed no difference by cycle regularity. ## What it means for you If you are a female athlete with irregular periods, you may have higher rates of eating concerns or body image worries. The link was only seen in athletes, not non-athletes, so we do not know if it applies to all women. The study relied on self-reported cycle length, which may not be fully accurate. 29.1% Athletes with irregular cycles 15.7% Non-athletes with irregular cycles 26-32 days Normal menstrual cycle length ## About the study Original title Food attitudes in female athletes: association with menstrual cycle length Authors Williams NI, Leidy HJ, Flecker KA et al. Journal Journal of sports sciences Year 2006 Study design Case-control study Participants 151 What was tested None - observational study Read the paper [doi.org/10.1080/02640410500456986](https://doi.org/10.1080/02640410500456986) ## Topics [Eating disorders](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-eating-disorders/)[Athletes and sport](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-athletes/)[Stigma, attitudes and culture](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-stigma-culture/) 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 Cohort study, 2026 Does the menstrual cycle phase affect how much physical activity women do? Survey study, 2025 Do female athletes have lower PMS than female non-athletes? Survey study, 2024 Are calorie tracking and eating disorders linked to menstrual problems in female athletes? Survey study, 2022 Do female athletes get enough knowledge and support about their period? Survey study, 2022 Do menstrual cycles and birth control affect female athletes' training and performance? Survey study, 2018 Does what or how adolescents eat matter for PMS? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗