Six months of exercise training was associated with decreased premenstrual symptoms in two groups of women. There was no change in symptoms in nontraining women. Eight sedentary (ST) women increased running from 0 to 76 +/- 26 km/cycle (mean +/- standard deviation) over 6 months and seven runners (MT) trained for a marathon (42.2 km). Six normally active, nontraining (C-NT) women kept their activity constant. Each subject completed monthly intensity-graded questionnaires or kept daily symptoms diaries concerning premenstrual symptoms. All monitored basal body temperature, weight, and exercise. Gonadal steroids were measured in ST women. For ST subjects, breast (P = 0.005), fluid (P = 0.01), and personal stress (P = 0.025) decreased. MT women experienced decreased fluid (P = 0.034) and depression (P = 0.014). Anxiety tended to decrease (P = 0.087). ST and MT subjects experienced decreases in premenstrual symptoms without documented hormonal, menstrual cycle, or weight changes. These symptom changes appear to be the earliest evidence of the effects of conditioning exercise on the reproductive system.
exercise training premenstrual symptoms reduction, Prior JC conditioning exercise premenstrual syndrome, running exercise PMS prospective controlled trial, aerobic exercise premenstrual breast tenderness fluid retention, marathon training premenstrual depression anxiety, non-pharmacological treatment premenstrual syndrome exercise, Prior Vigna exercise reproductive system effects, sedentary women exercise intervention PMS six month trial, basal body temperature exercise menstrual cycle, premenstrual symptom questionnaire conditioning exercise, exercise hormonal changes menstrual cycle gonadal steroids
PMID 3549364 3549364 DOI 10.1016/s0015-0282(16)59045-1 10.1016/s0015-0282(16)59045-1 Prior et al. 1987, Prior 1987
Cite this article
Prior, J. C., Vigna, Y., Sciarretta, D., Alojado, N., & Schulzer, M. (1987). Conditioning exercise decreases premenstrual symptoms: a prospective, controlled 6-month trial. Fertility and sterility, 47(3), 402-408. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0015-0282(16)59045-1
Prior JC, Vigna Y, Sciarretta D, Alojado N, Schulzer M. Conditioning exercise decreases premenstrual symptoms: a prospective, controlled 6-month trial. Fertil Steril. 1987;47(3):402-408. doi:10.1016/s0015-0282(16)59045-1
Prior, J. C., et al. "Conditioning exercise decreases premenstrual symptoms: a prospective, controlled 6-month trial." Fertility and sterility, vol. 47, no. 3, 1987, pp. 402-408.
Exercise is commonly listed as a remedy for the premenstrual syndrome (PMS), although no study has proven that it is an effective therapy. Numerous reports have suggested that exercise is associated with improved mood and symptoms. In those reports, however, the diagnosis of PMS was not clearly documented, nor was the exercise carefully controlled. Preliminary evidence suggests that exercise training in ovulatory, sedentary women and intensified training in women athletes decrease mild premenstrual symptoms. Although conditioning exercise is associated with short luteal phase and anovulatory cycles, decreases in mild premenstrual symptoms occur prior to menstrual cycle changes. Controlled studies of PMS and exercise training may not only document an effective, nonpharmacologic therapy for PMS but also clarify the hormonal etiology of this complex biobehavioral phenomenon.
Prior JC et al., 1986·Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol·
Conditioning exercise decreased premenstrual symptoms during 3 months of a prospective controlled training study. Eight women with normal ovulatory menstrual cycles began a running exercise training programme while completing intensity-graded questionnaires concerning molimina. Six sedentary control women followed the same protocol for 3 months but did not exercise. Oral basal temperatures evaluated by mean temperature analysis were obtained for all cycles. Exercise distance and time, average exercise heart rate, basal and maximal heart rate and body weights were recorded prospectively and evaluated during the control (0) and 3rd month of the study. Mid-luteal phase progesterone and estrogen levels were sampled during the analyzed cycles for the exercise group. Molimina did not change over 3 months time in the control group. The exercise group, after increasing distance run to 51.0 +/- 18.1 km/cycle at 3 months, showed decreases in overall molimina (scores on a 9-point scale) 6.5 +/- 1.8 to 3.5 +/- 0.9, p less than 0.01). Breast symptoms decreased from 8.3 +/- 0.7, p less than 0.005. Fluid symptoms also decreased from 7.3 +/- 1.8 to 5.5 +/- 0.9, p less than 0.025. Menstrual cycle intervals, luteal lengths, body weights and mid-luteal estrogen and progesterone levels were normal and unchanged. Moderate exercise training without major weight, hormonal or menstrual cycle alteration significantly decreased premenstrual symptoms.
To estimate the association between physical activity and risk of subclinical and clinical pregnancy loss among women with a history of pregnancy loss.
Prospective cohort study as a secondary analysis of the Effects of Aspirin in Gestation and Reproduction randomized controlled trial of preconception-initiated low-dose aspirin among women with one or two prior pregnancy losses.
Four U.S. clinical centers, 2007-2011. PATIENT(S): Women with confirmed pregnancy (n = 785) as determined from hCG testing in longitudinally collected biospecimens. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Subclinical loss of pregnancy detected only by hCG testing and clinically recognized loss. RESULT(S): Among 785 women (mean [SD] age, 28.7 [4.6] years) with an hCG-confirmed pregnancy, 188 (23.9%) experienced pregnancy loss. In multivariable models adjusted for confounders, compared with the first tertile of physical activity (median = 7.7 metabolic equivalent of task hours/week), there was a roughly twofold higher risk of subclinical loss in the second (risk ratio = 2.06; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-4.14) and third tertiles (risk ratio = 1.92; 95% confidence interval, 0.94-3.90), with median metabolic equivalent of task hours/week of 27.8 and 95.7, respectively. No relations were observed between physical activity and clinically recognized loss. CONCLUSION(S): Risk related to physical activity is different for pregnancy failure close to the time of implantation compared with that for later, clinical pregnancy loss. Higher physical activity levels were associated with an elevated risk of subclinical loss (i.e., pregnancies detected only by hCG, n = 55); however, no relationship was observed with clinically recognized loss. Further work is required to confirm these findings, assess generalizability to women without prior losses, and evaluate mechanisms. Ethical Approval: Each participating center's Institutional Review Board approved the study, and participants provided written informed consent. The trial was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT00467363), and a Data Safety and Monitoring Board provided oversight. : Estimar la asociación entre la actividad física y el riesgo de pèrdida gestacional subclínica y clínica entre mujeres con historia de pèrdida gestacional. DISEÑO:: Estudio prospectivo de cohortes como análisis secundario de un estudio aleatorizado de los efectos de aspirina en la gestación y la reproducción, utilizando bajas dosis de aspirina desde la preconcepción entre mujeres con una o dos pèrdidas gestacionales previas. : Cuatro clínicas en Estados Unidos, entre 2007–2011. : Mujeres con embarazo confirmado (n= 785) determinado por pruebas de hCG en muestras biológicas recogidas longitudinalmente. PRINCIPALES MEDIDAS DE RESULTADO(S):: Pérdida gestacional subclínica detectada sólo por la prueba de hCG y la reconocida clínicamente. : Entre 785 mujeres (media de edad [Deviación standard], 28,7 [4,6] años) con una gestación confirmada con hCG, 188 (23.9%) que tuvieron pérdida gestacional. En un modelo multivariante ajustado para factores de confusión comparado con el primer tercil de actividad física (media= 7,7 equivalentes metabólicos de trabajo horas/semana) hubo un riesgo bruto dos veces mayor de pérdida subclínica en el segundo (relación de riesgo= 2,06; Intervalo de confianza 95%, 1,03–4,14) y el tercer tercil (Relación de riesgo = 1,92 Intervalo de confianza 95%, 0,94–3,9) con una media metabólica equivalente de trabajo horas/semana de 27,8 y 95,7 respectivamente. No hubo relación entre actividad física y pérdidas gestacionales clínicas. : El riesgo asociado a actividad física es diferente para fallo gestacional próximo al momento de la implantación comparado con el más tardío de pérdida gestacional clínica. Niveles mayores de actividad física estuvieron asociados con un riesgo elevado de pérdida subclínica (por ejemplo, embarazos detectados solo por hCG, n=55); sin embargo, no se observó relación con pérdida clínicamente reconocida. Se necesitan más trabajos para confirmar estos hallazgos, evaluando de forma general mujeres sin pérdidas gestacionales previas, y evaluar sus mecanismos. APROBACIÓN ÉTICA:: El comité de revisión institucional de cada centro participante aprobó el estudio y los participantes dieron por escrito su consentimiento informado. El ensayo fue registrado en ClinicalTrial.gov (NCT00467363), y el comité de seguridad y monitorización de los datos dio su aprobación