Exercise habits found to influence menstrual symptoms in women

Exercise habits found to influence menstrual symptoms in women | Image Credit: © Rido - © Rido - stock.adobe.com.

Menstruation-related symptoms are influenced by different factors depending on women’s exercise habits, according to a recent study published in BMC Women’s Health.¹

Impact of menstrual symptoms

Menstruation-related symptoms occur in 70% to 90% of menstruating women, making them the most common gynecological conditions in this population.² Additionally, an estimated 683 billion yen is lost in labor because of these symptoms, highlighting their impact on women’s daily lives.¹

“Specific strategies are needed to address menstruation-related symptoms in most women who have symptoms and perceive influences on their daily lives,” wrote investigators.

Exercise in symptom management

Exercise has been highlighted as a method of minimizing menstrual-related symptoms, but these conditions have been reported in women who exercise daily. Therefore, investigators conducted a study to determine factors linked to menstrual-related symptoms in women with and without exercise habits.

Healthy Japanese women were included in the analysis, completing a web-based questionnaire with questions about physical characteristics, menstrual characteristics, menstrual-related symptoms, and lifestyle habits. These patients were grouped into a no-exercise habits group and a soccer player group, as only soccer players were included as female athletes.

Snowball sampling methods were used to recruit women without exercise habits, while the Kanto University Women's Soccer Federation cooperated to recruit soccer players. Patients aged 18 to 29 years with no prior childbirth, disease of gynecological origin, current illness, oral contraceptive use, or irregular menstrual cycle were included.

Defining exercise and symptoms assessed

Regular exercise was defined as over 30 minutes per session at least twice a week, and soccer players were identified based on active participation in the university women’s soccer club. Primary dysmenorrhea and premenstrual syndrome were identified as relevant menstruation-related symptoms.

There were 16 symptoms assessed: abdominal pain, headache, lower back pain, breast pain, fatigue, swelling, nausea, skin irritation, changes in appetite, changes in sleep, poor concentration, tearfulness, irritability, depression, anxiety, and tension. The severity and frequency of these symptoms were reported by participants in their last 2 menstrual cycles.

The Andersch and Milsom Scale was used to measure symptom severity, with 0 indicating no symptoms, 1 mild, 2 moderate, and 3 severe. Sleep, stress, physical activity, and eating habits were reported as lifestyle habits.

Participant characteristics and symptom prevalence

There were 99 women without exercise habits and 125 female soccer players include in the final analysis. The age, height, weight, and age at menarche all significantly differed between these groups.

Of women without exercise habits and female soccer players, 41.4% and 39.2%, respectively, had at least 1 severe menstrual symptom before menstruation. During menstruation, these rates were 44.4% and 35.2%, respectively.

Most frequently reported symptoms

Appetite, fatigue, sleep, skin irritation, and irritability most frequently change in women without exercise habits before menstruation, with rates of 21.2%, 17.2%, 17.2%, 16.2%, and 16.2%, respectively. In female soccer players, appetite, irritability, skin irritation, depression, and fatigue were most frequently changing, with rates of 25%, 13.6%, 10.4%, 8.8%, and 8%, respectively.

During menstruation, abdominal pain, fatigue, appetite, sleep, and depression changed most often in women without exercise, with rates of 21.2%, 17.2%, 16.2%, 14.1%, and 14.1%, respectively. In female soccer players, abdominal pain, appetite, fatigue, sleep, and lower back pain changed most often, with rates of 16%, 14.4%, 11.2%, 9.6%, and 8%, respectively.

Factors linked to severe symptoms

Factors linked to having at least 1 severe symptom before menstruation in women without exercise habits included menstrual days and stress. This association remained during menstruation for stress.

In female soccer players, body mass index (BMI) and bedtime were linked to presenting with at least 1 severe symptom before menstruation. During menstruation, associations were reported for age, BMI, family history of menstruation-related symptoms, bedtime, caffeine consumption, and number of breakfast intakes.

This data indicated variations in factors related to menstrual symptoms based on the symptoms a woman presents with and whether the woman exercises regularly.

“Hence, different individualized strategies are necessary for managing menstruation-related symptoms,” concluded investigators.

References

1. Mitsuhashi R, Mizushima R, Natsui H, Machida S, Nakata Y. Comparison of factors associated with the occurrence of menstruation-related symptoms in Japanese women without exercise habits and female soccer players: a cross-sectional study. BMC Women's Health. 2023;25:139 (2025) doi.org:10.1186/s12905-025-03655-w
2. Yamamoto K, Okazaki A, Sakamoto Y, Funatsu M. The relationship between premenstrual symptoms, menstrual pain, irregular menstrual cycles, and psychosocial stress among Japanese college students. J Physiol Anthropol. 2009;28(3):129-36. doi:10.2114/jpa2.28.129