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Survey study, 2021

Does resistance training reduce PMS symptoms?

Women who did resistance training had fewer psychological symptoms like difficulty concentrating and lack of energy compared to those who did not exercise. Evidence is limited by the small sample size and lack of random assignment.

Early or limited evidence 81 university women in Brazil; 40 had PMS (20 in each comparison group)

What they did

Cross-sectional study comparing 20 university women who did resistance training with 20 who did not, all with PMS, measuring psychological symptoms and effects on relationships.

What they found

64.2% of the 81 women studied had PMS. Among those with PMS, women who exercised had lower scores for difficulty concentrating, lack of energy, feeling under pressure, and effects on family relationships compared to women who did not exercise.

What it means for you

Resistance training may help reduce psychological symptoms of PMS. The main limits are that the sample was small, only university students in Brazil were studied, and the groups were not randomly assigned to exercise or not.

64.2%

had PMS

40

women with PMS studied

20

in each group

About the study

Original title
Prevalence of premenstrual syndrome and its psychological effects among university students who participate and do not participate in resistance training
Authors
Eliane Aragão da Silva, Daniel Alvarez Pires
Journal
Revista Brasileira de Ciências do Esporte
Year
2021
Study design
Survey study
Participants
81
What was tested
Resistance training (observational comparison)
Open access
Yes

Topics