Survey study, 2002
Does regular physical activity help PMS symptoms?
Regular physical activity helped reduce some PMS symptoms like headaches, palpitations, and moodiness, but did not help with other symptoms. This was not a controlled study, so we cannot be certain exercise caused the improvement.
What they did
151 women who exercised regularly at health clubs and gyms and 169 women who did not exercise completed a questionnaire about their PMS symptoms and physical activity habits.
What they found
Both groups had similar rates of symptoms (88 percent). Exercising women had less intense headaches (p=0.025), fewer palpitations (p=0.022), and less moodiness (p=0.038) than non-exercising women. Physical activity did not affect other symptoms.
What it means for you
Exercise helped a few specific PMS symptoms but not all. The study was cross-sectional, meaning it could not prove that exercise caused the improvement. It only included women from Rio de Janeiro.
151
exercising women
169
non-exercising women
88%
both groups with PMS symptoms
About the study
- Original title
- THE EFFECT OF REGULAR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ON PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME (PMS) SYMPTOMS
- Authors
- A M.F. Miragaya, Paulo Sérgio Chagas Gomes
- Journal
- Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise
- Year
- 2002
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 151
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1097/00005768-200205001-00663
Topics
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