---
title: Does the menstrual cycle affect mood and how well women can do physical tasks?
description: Women reported lower energy and worse mood premenstrually and during menstruation, but their actual performance on a computer task did not change with the men
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/menstrual-cycle-effects-on-mood-and-perceptual-motor-performance-1994/
---

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- Does the menstrual cycle affect mood and how well women can do physical tasks?

Survey study, 1994

# Does the menstrual cycle affect mood and how well women can do physical tasks?

Women reported lower energy and worse mood premenstrually and during menstruation, but their actual performance on a computer task did not change with the menstrual cycle.

 Early or limited evidence

54 women plus a control group of men

## What they did

54 women completed mood questionnaires and a computer task (tracking a moving circle with a joystick-controlled dot) at three points during their cycle: premenstrual, menstrual, and ovulatory phases. A control group of men completed the mood questionnaire on three occasions over 28 days.

## What they found

Women reported low energy and impaired cognitive function premenstrually and during menstruation. Task performance did not vary with menstrual cycle phase. When the purpose of the test was hidden, typically reported menstrual-cycle effects on performance were not observed reliably.

## What it means for you

Women's mood changes with their cycle, but actual ability to do tasks doesn't change. Knowing a study is about menstrual cycles may influence results, suggesting expectations matter. Small study with 54 women.

54

women tested

3

menstrual cycle phases tested

## About the study

Original title Menstrual-cycle effects on mood and perceptual-motor performance Authors Cockerill IM, Wormington JA, Nevill AM Journal Journal of psychosomatic research Year 1994 Study design Survey study What was tested Mood questionnaires and computer performance task Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/0022-3999(94)90029-9](https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-3999(94)90029-9)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)

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.

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Case-control study, 2026

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Survey study, 2025

Does PMDD or PMS affect quality of life?

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