Effect of Moderate-to-High-Intensity Interval Aerobic Exercise on Clinical Symptoms During the Menstrual Cycle: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Introduction: Primary dysmenorrhea is one of the most prevalent gynecological disorders. It has been shown to negatively impact quality of life and overall wellbeing, as recent studies have associated stress and physical inactivity with both the onset and severity of menstrual pain. Objective: To analyze the effectiveness of a moderate-to-high-intensity interval aerobic exercise on menstrual pain intensity, menstrual-related quality of life, general health-related quality of life, sleep quality, stress and anxiety, and drug intake in young women with primary dysmenorrhea. Methodology: A total of 20 women were randomly allocated to either the exercise (N = 10) or control group (N = 10). Primary outcomes were menstrual pain intensity and menstrual-related quality of life. Secondary outcomes included general health-related quality of life, sleep quality, stress and anxiety, and drug intake. A supervised moderate-to-high-intensity interval aerobic exercise program on a stationary bicycle was carried out twice a week, for eight weeks, in young women with regular cycles and no diagnosed medical conditions. Patients were assessed at baseline, and at 1- and 2-month follow-ups. Results: At 8 weeks, 17 women completed the follow-up. Analyses showed statistically significant differences in favor of moderate-to-high-intensity interval aerobic exercise at 2-month follow-up for menstrual pain intensity, with a large size effect. Significant changes were also found in menstrual-related quality of life at both follow-ups in the exercise group, but they were not superior to the control group. No significant changes were observed for the rest of the variables in either group. Conclusions: The results from this pilot study suggest that the moderate-to-high-intensity interval aerobic exercise program is effective in reducing menstrual pain intensity at 2-month follow-ups. Future randomized controlled trials with larger samples are required to confirm the results.