Effects of Aerobic Training on Primary Dysmenorrhea Symptomatology in College Females

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a 12-week aerobic training program on cardiorespiratory fitness and menstrual distress symptomatology in college females with clinically diagnosed primary dysmenorrhea. Following pelvic exams to rule out secondary dysmenorrhea, 36 subjects were randomly assigned to a training or a control group. Subjects were pre- and posttested for cardiorespiratory fitness using a Balke treadmill test. Symptomatology was assessed during the premenstrual, menstrual, and intermenstrual phases of three cycles studied using the Moos Menstrual Distress Questionnaire. Control subjects re mained sedentary throughout the experimental period while the training group participated in a 30-minute continuous walwjog program 3 daydweek at an intensity of 70435% of the heart rate range. The adherence criterion was 80%. Paired t-tests indicated significant (p < ,051 gains in a total endurance time for the training group. A one-way (splitunit) ANOVA with repeated measures revealed significant @ < .05) reductions in the mean menstrual phase symptomatology scores for the training group relative to the control group. A significant @ < .05) negative linear trend was revealed for the training group but not for the control group, indicating a linear decline in symptomatology as the training group progressed. These data suggest that aerobic training can significantly reduce menstrual cycle symptoms associated with primary dysmenorrhea in college females.