---
title: Does heavy physical activity affect menstrual cycles? | Niyora
description: Heavy-intensity physical activity can disrupt menstrual cycles and cause problems including missed periods, bone loss, and irregular bleeding.
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/menstrual-cycle-in-female-workers-2020/
---

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- Does heavy physical activity affect menstrual cycles?

Study, 2020

# Does heavy physical activity affect menstrual cycles?

Heavy-intensity physical activity can disrupt menstrual cycles and cause problems including missed periods, bone loss, and irregular bleeding.

 Early or limited evidence

Female workers

## What they did

This paper discusses how different levels of physical activity affect menstrual cycles and menstrual health in working women.

## What they found

Heavy-intensity physical activity can cause menstrual problems including absent periods, bone thinning, irregular periods, spotting between periods, abnormal growth of the uterine lining, and infertility.

## What it means for you

Working women who do heavy physical activity should know that intense exercise can disrupt menstrual cycles and cause other health problems. Moderate regular activity is healthy, but very high-intensity exercise may cause problems that need medical attention.

## About the study

Original title Menstrual Cycle in Female Workers Authors Thu Huong Nguyen Journal Journal of Asian Multicultural Research for Medical and Health Science Study Year 2020 Study design Study What was tested Physical activity levels including heavy-intensity exercise Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.47616/jamrmhss.v1i1.21](https://doi.org/10.47616/jamrmhss.v1i1.21) Original abstract

Menstrual disorders are abnormalities that occur in the menstrual cycle. There are various menstrual disorders that women can experience, ranging from too little or too much menstrual blood, painful menstruation, to depression before menstruation or premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Physical activity is divided into three levels, namely light, moderate and heavy physical activity. Physical activity of heavy intensity can cause physiological disorders of the menstrual cycle. presence of menstruation (amenorrhoea), thinning of the bones (osteoporosis), menstrual irregularities or intermenstrual bleeding, abnormal growth of the uterine wall, and infertility.

Reproduced under CC-BY-SA.

## Topics

[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Exercise and yoga](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-exercise/)[Work and productivity](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-work/)

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