Do menstrual periods prevent women from exercising? No, women's exercise performance is more likely to increase during menstrual cycles.

Do Women Stop Exercising During Periods?
A new study from Brigham Young University researchers, published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, shows why that assumption is misguided.‘Do periods affect women's exercise performance? No, menstrual cycles don't prevent women from doing regular exercise.’
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Analyzing women’s exercise performance across their menstrual cycles, researchers found no variability in endurance thresholds or performance: from workout to workout, women’s performance was just as consistent as men’s. Read More..





Effect of Menstrual Cycle on Exercise Performance
“Females with regular cycles performed the same between the high-estrogen phase, the high-progesterone phase, and during menstruation, when there are low concentrations of both,” said Jessica Linde, who led the study for her BYU Master’s thesis in exercise science. “That information lifts a big barrier. It shows we shouldn’t be excluding women from research based on the idea that their menstrual cycles are going to skew the results.”In fact, the study demonstrated why it’s crucial to include women in research. While women’s menstrual cycles didn’t affect their exercise, there were key differences between how women’s and men’s endurance played out. For example, women reached exhaustion from muscle fatigue about 18% faster than men, even when adjusting for muscle mass, possibly because women’s bodies may naturally reserve more energy.
“The assumption in exercise research has long been that women are like men, just smaller,” said BYU exercise science professor and co-author Jayson Gifford. “Our study suggests that they’re not, and that there are important differences between women’s and men’s exercise. Including more women in research will allow us to fine tune approaches to women’s physiology.”
For the study, seven women and 10 men completed intense cycling sessions, the women at three points during the menstrual cycle confirmed through blood draws and ovulation tests, and the men at 10-day intervals. As participants exercised, researchers measured heart and respiratory rates to assess performance.
“Previous studies have looked at may be one intensity of exercise in the menstrual cycle, but Jessica was extremely comprehensive and looked at five. It was one of the most thorough studies I’ve seen to date, and the data were extremely convincing,” Gifford said.
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Linde and Gifford were careful to note that the study focused only on cycling and included only women without menstrual disorders. More research is needed to determine how irregular menstruation might affect exercise. Learning more about women’s exercise is especially important now that there are more female athletes than ever — Linde, who is now continuing her research as a Ph.D. student at Marquette University, was herself inspired to pursue the research because of her experiences as a Division I athlete in college.
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Source-Eurekalert