--- title: Does menstrual cycle length affect muscle strength and mood in young female dancers? description: Yes. Female dancers with shorter menstrual cycles (under 28 days) had stronger muscles but significantly worse mood and tiredness compared to those with longe url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/menstrual-cycle-muscle-strength-and-mood-disturbance-in-female-dancers-2013/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does menstrual cycle length affect muscle strength and mood in young female dancers? Cohort study, 2013 # Does menstrual cycle length affect muscle strength and mood in young female dancers? Yes. Female dancers with shorter menstrual cycles (under 28 days) had stronger muscles but significantly worse mood and tiredness compared to those with longer cycles (over 28 days). Early or limited evidence 12 young female professional dancers, 6 with cycles less than 28 days and 6 with cycles greater than 28 days ## What they did Researchers tracked 12 young female professional dancers weekly for one complete menstrual cycle. Six dancers had cycles shorter than 28 days and six had cycles longer than 28 days. They measured lower-body muscle strength, mood, tiredness, heart rate patterns, and hormone levels (estradiol and progesterone). ## What they found Dancers with short cycles had significantly stronger muscles than those with long cycles. However, they reported significantly more tiredness and mood problems throughout the cycle, especially in the two weeks before their period. Hormone patterns differed between the groups. The long-cycle group had normal hormone patterns, but the short-cycle group did not have the expected rise in progesterone during the second half of the cycle. ## What it means for you Women with shorter menstrual cycles may have worse PMS symptoms even though they are physically stronger. The different hormone patterns suggest their bodies may produce hormones in an unusual way. This is a very small study so we cannot draw firm conclusions. 12 Total dancers studied 6 Size of each group 28 days Cycle cutoff ## About the study Original title Menstrual Cycle, Muscle Strength, and Mood Disturbance in Female Dancers Authors Wei-Hua Lin Journal Sports & Exercise Research Year 2013 Study design Cohort study Participants 6 Read the paper [doi.org/10.5297/ser.1502.010](https://doi.org/10.5297/ser.1502.010) ## Topics [Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Quality of life and daily functioning](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-quality-of-life/)[Adolescents and young people](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-adolescents/) 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 Randomised trial, 2025 Does mood, well-being, and sexual function change across the menstrual cycle? Lab study, 2026 Do core stability exercises help women with PMDD? Study, 2026 What coping strategies help women manage PMS symptoms? Case-control study, 2026 Do girls with familial Mediterranean fever have more PMS symptoms? Systematic review, 2026 What life experiences and personal factors influence how severe PMS is? Study, 2025 Does the menstrual cycle affect sleep, energy, and injury risk in young female athletes? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗