Menstrual Cycle and Physical Activity
Introduction[edit | edit source]
Menstruation is a normal physiologic phase that begins during adolescence wherein the progestational endometrium is shredded leading to blood loss and numerous hormonal changes. In the normal menstrual cycle, there is a complex interplay between estrogen and progesterone hormones. Under normal circumstances, it occurs every 28 to 35 days, the blood flow lasts for 3 to 5 days and the average blood loss is 30 to 80 ml. It is governed by the general health of the girl, and socioeconomic and nutritional status. The coordination is carried out by the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis.[1]
There are many menstrual disorders such as Dysmenorrhoea, Amenorrhea, Hypomenorrhea, Polymenorrhea, Oligomenorrhea, Menorrhagia, Metrorrhagia, and Premenstrual syndrome. All of these can be affected by many factors like age, family history, smoking, and physical activity.
It is very important to understand the association between physical activity and menstruation, reproductive hormones, and ovulation as it influences fertility outcomes. Studies have proved that physical activities and exercises have a great effect on the reduction of menstrual disorders.[1]
Menstrual disorders[edit | edit source]
Dysmenorrhoea: Painful cramps of the uterus during menses. Pain is felt in the lower abdomen and inner thighs. There are symptoms in many cases like low back pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, and headache. It is quite common and almost 50 % of the women suffer from it.10% of women suffer severely. There are two categories in this: Primary and Secondary. Primary dysmenorrhoea occurs soon after menarche once ovulation is established.[2]Secondary dysmenorrhoea occurs due to any pelvic pathology such as ovarian cysts, uterine fibroids, adhesions, or cervical stenosis.
Premenstrual syndrome: Many women of reproductive age have some discomfort before a few weeks of menstruation. This includes mood swings, tension, breast tenderness, bloating, irritability, depression, and fearfulness.[3]
Amenorrhea: It has two types: Primary and Secondary, In the primary, there is failure to reach menarche due to chromosomal abnormalities like ovarian insufficiency or anatomic abnormalities. In secondary, there is the cessation of regular menses for three months or cessation of irregular menses for six months.[4]
Association of physical activity/exercises and dysmenorrhea among adolescence[edit | edit source]
Dysmenorrhoea is not a threat to life but it affects the quality of life based on its severity. It is believed to be associated with increased prostaglandins and increased contraction of the uterine muscle.[2]Different medical and nonmedical treatments are proven to reduce the symptoms such as taking NSAIDs, herbal diet therapies, yoga, meditation, and acupressure.
Mild to moderate exercises/physical activities help in controlling the symptoms of dysmenorrhoea. Exercises release endorphins which increase the pain threshold and improve the mood of exercising subjects. It reduces the consumption of drugs and the length of menstruation pain.
Resources[edit | edit source]
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insufficiencyReferences[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Kulshrestha S, Durrani AM. Prevalence of menstrual disorders and their association with physical activity in adolescent girls of aligarh city. Int J Health Sci Res. 2019;9(8):384-93.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Mahvash N, Eidy A, Mehdi K, Zahra MT, Mani M, Shahla H. The effect of physical activity on primary dysmenorrhea of female university students. World Applied Sciences Journal. 2012;17(10):1246-52.
- ↑ Yonkers KA, O'Brien PS, Eriksson E. Premenstrual syndrome. The Lancet. 2008 Apr 5;371(9619):1200-10.
- ↑ Klein DA, Poth MA. Amenorrhea: an approach to diagnosis and management. American family physician. 2013 Jun 1;87(11):781-8.
