Reference image. Symptoms such as changes in appetite, weight gain, abdominal pain, back pain, lower back pain, headache, breast swelling and tenderness, nausea, constipation, anxiety, irritability, anger, fatigue, restlessness, and various mood swings happen to women during their menstrual cycle.
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Physical exercise helps reduce the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), which usually occurs in women a week before menstruating. The sensations can be many and their severity varies: from cramps, breast tenderness and change in appetite, to nausea, diarrhea, anxiety and mood swings. The truth is that, historically, it has tended to normalize that menstruation hurts, and this, according to scientists, shows the lack of attention that these issues have received, which affect millions of women around the world.
To go much further, Sara Tabares, a graduate in Physical Activity and Sports Sciences, wrote in the Spanish newspaper The country that “perhaps if many men suffered some of the symptoms derived from the appearance or lack of menstruation, their treatment would have advanced more or would be given the importance it deserves” (Read also: The law to diagnose and treat endometriosis in Colombia was approved).
What is premenstrual syndrome?
Premenstrual syndrome has no cure and its causes are not even well known. What can be done, according to scientists, is to reduce their symptoms through certain activities such as physical exercise.
This was confirmed by a study published in the journal International Journal of Women’s Health, who found that exercising for 30 minutes, 3 to 5 days a week, can help reduce the physical and psychological signs of PMS. Even the effects would be more noticeable if this activity is carried out for 10 weeks in a row.
But, first, let’s remember what the menstrual cycle is. It is a phase that is repeated every month, every 24 or 28 days, depending on the hormonal and physical characteristics of the woman. It has five stages with different symptoms for each one: the first is the most visible, that of menstruation as such, which occurs when bleeding from the uterus occurs. It occurs when the secondary endometrium is evacuated through the vagina in the absence of a pregnancy.
The second phase is the follicular phase, which lasts between 10 and 12 days. In it, the brain releases a hormone known as follicle hormone, which ultimately will be responsible for releasing the fertile egg.
The third phase is ovulatory, which releases the egg from the ovary and makes it go to the fallopian tubes. This leads us to the fourth phase, called the luteal phase, when the ovary advances through the tubes waiting to be fertilized. In the fifth and final phase, if the ovum is ultimately not reached by any sperm, the endometrium is shed and menstruation occurs again. (On the Health Reform: The paper on the health reform was filed: what happens with the EPS?).
Now, hormones like estrogen, progesterone, and serotonin play different roles during the five stages.
Estrogens play a key role in the reproductive health of women, and their level for each one varies throughout life. Progesterone is also a sexual hormone that is secreted by the ovary and the placenta, and has the function of preparing the uterus to receive the fertilized egg.
For its part, serotonin is a neurotransmitter related to the control of emotions and mood: it regulates appetite, sexual desire, body temperature and others.
But why is it important to know what each one does? Because studies suggest that, during menstruation, there is an imbalance between estrogen and progesterone.
For example, estrogen levels have been found to rise during the premenstrual phase, with insufficient levels of progesterone to counteract this. That’s where aerobic exercise comes in, which scientists say could lower estrogen.
Beta endorphins are also important players in the whole process. They are substances produced in the brain that block the sensation of pain, and their levels drop during the premenstrual phase. This is where women are most likely to experience headaches, menstrual cramps, anxiety, and food cravings.
However, a study published in the journal PLOS One He stated that physical activity could also help increase the levels of beta endorphins in the body and raise the percentage of cortisol in the body, better known as the stress hormone.
That is why, while more studies are carried out to understand how premenstrual syndrome works in women, the recommendation is to exercise regularly. There is no formula for how much activity a person should do: this obeys the personal times of each person, together with their physical characteristics. However, doing things as simple as walking more often can have a big impact on your period.