Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40849627›Full record

Trial reportBMC women's health2025

The effect of exercise on menstrual symptoms: a randomized controlled trial.

Merve Koçak, Ömer Şevgin

Registry-linked trialAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMC women's health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06006507 (The Effect of Exercise on Menstrual Symptoms), which is not on this map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT06006507 nacompletednot on this map

The Effect of Exercise on Menstrual Symptoms: a Randomised Controlled Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorUskudar UniversityRan2023 to 2023Enrolled54ConditionsMenstrual ProblemArmscontrol, exercise
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Merve KoçakDepartment of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Institute of Health Sciences, Bahçeşehir University, Istanbul, Turkey.ORCID 0009-0006-5800-3433
Ömer ŞevginDepartment of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health Sciences, Üsküdar University, Istanbul, Turkey. omer.sevgin@uskudar.edu.tr.ORCID 0000-0003-2145-5939

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMenstrual symptoms are a prevalent and frequently encountered woman's health condition. This study aimed to examine the effect of exercise on menstrual symptoms, sleep quality, fatigue, and physical activity levels.

methodsThe study was designed as a randomized controlled trial between September 2023 and December 2023. The study included 54 women aged 18 to 45 years. The participants were allocated to the exercise or the control group using simple randomization with a sealed envelope method. All participants were evaluated with the Menstrual Symptom Questionnaire (MSQ), the Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MDQ), the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ) before and after treatment. The control group did not receive an exercise program. The exercise group received strengthening, flexibility, and balance exercises. A moderate-intensity aerobic exercise and walking program was implemented at least three days per week. The study spanned three menstrual cycles for each woman and lasted an average of 12 weeks.

resultsWithin-group analysis showed a significant decrease in MSQ (p=0.001), MDQ (menstrual) (p=0.002), FSS (p=0.003), and PSQI (p=0.001) scores after exercise. In contrast, the IPAQ score increased significantly in the exercise group p=0.001). In the control group, a significant decrease was observed only in the MDQ (intermenstrual) score (p=0.915). A comparison of the pre-treatment and post-treatment changes in the exercise and control groups revealed a significant decrease in MSQ (p=0.001), MDQ (menstrual) (p=0.023), and PSQI scores (p=0.001) and an increase in IPAQ scores (p=0.001) in the exercise group compared to the control group. However, the decrease in MDQ (pre-menstrual and intermenstrual) (p=0.626

conclusionsIn conclusion, exercise can decrease the menstrual symptoms in women with menstrual symptoms as a primary outcome. Second, exercise can also increase their sleep quality. Therefore, it can be employed as a non-pharmacological adjuvant method to help women manage their symptoms.

trial registrationThe protocol is registered with http://clinicaltrials.gov/ (17/August/2023, Clinical Trial, NCT06006507).

Indexed as

ExerciseExercise TherapyMenstruationAdolescentAdultFatigueFemaleHumansMiddle AgedSleep QualitySurveys and QuestionnairesYoung AdultFatigueMenstrual painMenstrual symptomsPhysical activitySleep

Identifiers

PMID40849627
PMCPMC12374421

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.