Survey study, 2012
Does your personality type affect your hormone levels during your menstrual cycle?
Yes. Women with higher activity and endurance and lower emotional reactivity had nearly twice the estrogen levels and more favorable progesterone patterns than women with opposite traits.
What they did
108 women of reproductive age had their personality measured for three traits: activity, endurance, and emotional reactivity. Their estrogen and progesterone levels were tracked throughout their menstrual cycle.
What they found
Women high in activity and endurance but low in emotional reactivity had up to twice as high estradiol (estrogen) levels compared to women low in activity and endurance but high in emotional reactivity. These women also had more favorable progesterone patterns.
What it means for you
Your personality may be linked to your hormone levels, with more active and resilient personalities associated with higher estrogen production. This might explain why personality relates to reproductive success. Limitation: urban sample only, cross-sectional design.
108
Women studied
2x
Up to twice as high estradiol levels in active women
About the study
- Original title
- Temperament and ovarian reproductive hormones in women: evidence from a study during the entire menstrual cycle
- Authors
- Ziomkiewicz A, Wichary S, Bochenek D et al.
- Journal
- Hormones and behavior
- Year
- 2012
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 108
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2012.01.017
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