--- title: Does recreational exercise affect menstrual health and PMS risk? description: No. The study found no meaningful link between exercise amount or intensity and PMS in 719 recreational exercisers. Higher light activity had a tiny associati url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/self-reported-physical-activity-intensity-and-training-volume-are-not-related-to-2026/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does recreational exercise affect menstrual health and PMS risk? Cohort study, 2026 # Does recreational exercise affect menstrual health and PMS risk? No. The study found no meaningful link between exercise amount or intensity and PMS in 719 recreational exercisers. Higher light activity had a tiny association with irregular periods. Moderate study design 719 recreationally active Swiss women aged 18+ not using hormonal contraceptives. ## What they did An online survey of 719 Swiss women aged 18+ who were not pregnant and not using hormonal contraceptives, conducted May-June 2023. Women self-reported their exercise (light, moderate, vigorous intensity and total hours per week) and menstrual health including PMS, oligomenorrhea, and secondary amenorrhea. Logistic regression was used to test associations. ## What they found Among 719 women (mean age 29.2, mean 367 min/week of moderate-vigorous activity), PMS occurred in 15.9%, oligomenorrhea in 17.8%, and secondary amenorrhea in 2.9%. No association was found between exercise intensity or volume and PMS or loss of periods. Light activity showed a small association with oligomenorrhea but the effect was very small. ## What it means for you For recreational exercisers, the amount of exercise does not meaningfully affect PMS or menstrual cycle. Recreational exercise appears safe and won't worsen PMS or cause period problems. Main limitations are that this is a single snapshot survey from Switzerland with self-reported data, which may not apply to all women or countries. 719 women studied 15.9% had PMS 367 min/week average exercise time ## About the study Original title Self-reported physical activity intensity and training volume are not related to menstrual health among recreationally active Swiss females Authors Kubica C, Zimmermann S, Nigg CR Journal BMC women's health Year 2026 Study design Cohort study Participants 719 What was tested None - observational study. Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1186/s12905-026-04503-1](https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-026-04503-1) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Oral contraceptives and drospirenone](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-hormonal-contraceptives/)[Exercise and yoga](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-exercise/)[Work and productivity](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-work/) 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 Systematic review, 2026 Do mindfulness and relaxation techniques help with PMS symptoms? Systematic review, 2025 How common are PMS, PMDD, and painful periods in nursing students, and do they affect their schooling? Systematic review, 2024 Does yoga help reduce PMS symptoms? Systematic review, 2020 How common is PMS among women of reproductive age in Ethiopia? Systematic review, 2020 Does Vitex agnus-castus help cyclic breast pain? Review, 2018 What causes PMS and PMDD, and how are they treated? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗