ArticleBiology of sex differences2026
Motivation and reward processing across sex/gender and the menstrual cycle: a biopsychosocial perspective.
Article in Biology of sex differences, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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.
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Menstrual cycle hormonal fluctuations and their associations with athletic performance and injury susceptibility in female athletes.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
- AssociatedDataset
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundFemales undergo hormonal fluctuations throughout every menstrual cycle and numerously report corresponding symptoms of negative mood or decreased motivation, indicating an increased risk for affective disorders associated with altered motivational behaviour. Understanding whether sex hormones modulate sex/gender-specific behavioural variability in motivation could inform personalised interventions.
methodsTo assess whether steroid hormone fluctuations and menstrual cycle phase modulate sex/gender-specific motivation, we examined 48 naturally cycling cisgender females and 46 cisgender males, aged 18-34, who performed a physical effort task while fasted (part 1, T0) and across four weeks (part 2, T1-T4). We obtained objective (invigoration and effort maintenance) and subjective (wanting and exertion) measures of motivation in response to food and monetary rewards. Menstrual cycle phases were determined based on cycle-day counting methods alongside plasma levels of estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone. We tested whether females show higher effort maintenance, males exhibit greater reward sensitivity, and explored whether motivational behaviour differs by sex/gender, cycle phase and hormonal variation.
resultsCross-sectionally, we replicated sex/gender specific reward sensitivity and valuation: Females showed more sustained effort, especially for small rewards, while males displayed more opportunistic approaches seeking monetary rewards. Longitudinally, motivation decreased during periovulatory and luteal phases, whereas levels of endogenous hormones explained little variance in instrumental effort beyond task incentives and sex/gender associations.
conclusionsMotivational behaviour in effort-based decision-making is more related to dynamic sex/gender-related factors and menstrual cycle phases overall than to short-term steroid hormone fluctuations. Our findings emphasise the importance of integrating biological, psychosocial, and physiological factors when investigating motivation. Our research has potential implications for personalised interventions and treatment of motivational deficits.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
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.