--- title: Does recreational physical exercise reduce premenstrual symptoms in teenage girls? description: Possibly. Girls who exercised 3 or more times per week had lower depression. However, older age and higher weight were linked to worse symptoms. url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/the-relationship-between-premenstrual-symptoms-and-recreational-physical-2023/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does recreational physical exercise reduce premenstrual symptoms in teenage girls? Cohort study, 2023 # Does recreational physical exercise reduce premenstrual symptoms in teenage girls? Possibly. Girls who exercised 3 or more times per week had lower depression. However, older age and higher weight were linked to worse symptoms. Moderate study design 313 high school girls aged 14-17 years, mean age 15.2 years ## What they did Prospective cohort study of 313 high school girls aged 14-17. Girls reported their premenstrual symptoms daily over 30 consecutive days and provided information about their exercise habits including type, duration, and frequency. Researchers used logistic regression to look for associations. ## What they found 80.8% of girls experienced at least one premenstrual symptom. Girls who exercised 3 or more times per week had lower depression (odds ratio 0.333). Older girls were more likely to have poor concentration. Girls with higher weight were more likely to have bloating. ## What it means for you Girls who exercise regularly may have less depression. Age and weight also affect premenstrual symptoms. A main limitation is this was observational, so we cannot know if exercise caused the lower depression or if girls with less depression were simply more likely to exercise. 80.8% experienced at least one premenstrual symptom 0.333 odds ratio for depression with 3+ exercise sessions per week 313 high school girls studied ## About the study Original title The Relationship Between Premenstrual Symptoms And Recreational Physical Exercise In Senior High School Students Authors Zhuo Chen, Xiao Zhou, Kazuhiro Imai Journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise Year 2023 Study design Cohort study Participants 313 What was tested None - observational study of recreational physical exercise Read the paper [doi.org/10.1249/01.mss.0000985452.99004.62](https://doi.org/10.1249/01.mss.0000985452.99004.62) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Cognition, concentration and memory](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-cognition/)[Bloating, breast tenderness and physical symptoms](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-physical-symptoms/)[Exercise and yoga](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-exercise/)[Relationships and partners](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-relationships/)[Students and academic performance](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-education/)[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, 2026 Is Pilates exercise more effective than stretching for reducing PMS symptoms? Survey study, 2023 How common are PMS and PMDD among college girls, and what are their symptoms? Cohort study, 2006 How should severe period pain in teenagers be treated? Survey study, 2026 What dietary, lifestyle, and psychological factors are associated with PMS in young women? Lab study, 2026 Do core stability exercises help women with PMDD? Study, 2026 What are premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗