Menstrual Cycle News and Research

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Higher stress and BMI tied to earlier puberty in girls

New research links stress, BMI, and hormone patterns to pubertal timing, revealing implications for long-term health and early intervention strategies.

16 Apr 2026

Researchers map how menstrual cycle phases affect athletic performance

In a repeated-measures study of 18 eumenorrheic female athletes, half-squat strength was highest in the late follicular phase and around ovulation, while handgrip strength peaked in the late luteal phase. Psychological measures also shifted across the cycle, with lower vigor and higher fatigue and depression scores in the late luteal phase, supporting more individualized training monitoring.

12 Apr 2026

Treating autonomic dysfunction can relieve symptoms of treatment-resistant depression

Consider a house with the water main half shut. The faucets sputter. The toilet runs all night. The garden wilts. You could call a plumber for the faucet, a landscaper for the garden, a different plumber for the toilet, and every one of them would fix something while fixing nothing.

31 Mar 2026

Hormone fluctuations influence perceived effort during intense workouts

Female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone fluctuate monthly across the menstrual cycle, affecting moods and energy levels.

2 Mar 2026

Study reveals knowledge gaps about menstrual health in elite women’s football

Elite European women’s football players and staff show substantial knowledge gaps about menstrual health and hormonal contraception despite widespread openness to discussion. The study highlights the need for structured education to support informed health decisions while clarifying that perceived performance effects are not consistently supported by scientific evidence.

24 Feb 2026

Sustained high progesterone during pregnancy can improve menstrual cyclicity in PCOS patients

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects 6%−20% of reproductive-aged women, and is commonly accompanied by irregular menstrual cycles and anovulatory infertility.

11 Feb 2026

Multi-fluid microRNA signals as markers of endometriosis

Researchers uncover distinct microRNA profiles in bodily fluids, offering insights into noninvasive diagnostic markers for endometriosis and its complexities.

27 Jan 2026

Targeted uterine mRNA treatment boosts fertility outcomes in mice

Researchers from the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Medicine Center for Nanomedicine - which designs nanotechnology-based platforms for clinical translation across specialties - developed a strategy for delivering therapeutic messenger RNA (mRNA) to the inner lining of the uterus (endometrium) in mice via modified lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), which are small capsules made of fatty molecules.

22 Jan 2026

Can ketogenic diets help PCOS? New analysis points to weight and insulin gains

A systematic review and meta-analysis of 15 studies found that ketogenic diets were associated with short-term reductions in body weight, waist circumference, insulin resistance, and some reproductive hormones in women with polycystic ovary syndrome, primarily among those with overweight or obesity. However, substantial heterogeneity, low certainty of evidence, limited safety reporting, and short follow-up periods mean the clinical effectiveness and long-term sustainability of ketogenic diets in PCOS remain uncertain.

5 Jan 2026

Injuries don’t rise during menstruation in elite women footballers

The study finds no rise in injuries during menstruation in elite football, yet highlights increased severity, urging better tracking for athlete health.

18 Dec 2025

Injury burden is higher during menstruation in professional female footballers

The menstrual cycle is a key physiological process in women: it impacts performance, neuromuscular control, metabolism, and immune response.

16 Dec 2025

Survey reveals widespread misconceptions about the role of certified nurse-midwives

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, the United States is expected to face a significant shortage of OB-GYNs in the next five years.

4 Dec 2025

Daily tracking menstrual cycles show affects on athletes

New research reveals how daily tracking of menstrual and contraceptive symptoms impacts elite athletes' performance and well-being more accurately than surveys.

3 Dec 2025

Flavanol-rich foods offer vascular protection during extended sitting

New research from the University of Birmingham shows that eating flavanol-rich foods-like tea, berries, apples, and cocoa-can protect vascular health in men from the harmful effects of prolonged sitting.

29 Oct 2025

Study finds small but significant sprint gains from dark chocolate milk intake

A new study found that consuming dark chocolate milk before exercise modestly enhanced anaerobic sprint performance in healthy young adults. The gains, seen in total effort time and power output, were small but potentially meaningful for competitive athletes.

23 Oct 2025