College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Term of Award

Spring 2026

Degree Name

Master of Science in Kinesiology (M.S.)

Document Type and Release Option

Thesis (open access)

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Department

Department of Health and Kinesiology

Committee Chair

Samuel Wilson

Committee Member 1

Andrew Flatt

Committee Member 2

Jessica Mutchler

Abstract

Hormonal fluctuations across the distinct phases of the menstrual cycle have been shown to influence physiological and psychological responses to exercise, with some evidence suggesting phase-dependent changes in symptom presentation and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE); however, findings remain inconsistent, and few studies have examined these relationships across an entire competitive season in female soccer players. The purpose of this study was to examine changes in RPE and menstrual symptoms across cycle phases, as well as the relationships between RPE and symptom reporting in pre-professional female soccer players. A total of 22 female soccer players (age 22± 1.85) were recruited via convenience sampling and monitored over an 8-week season with daily RPE and menstrual symptom tracking. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA, dependent t-tests, and non-parametric equivalents (Friedman and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests), with significance set at p ≤ 0.05.

No significant differences were observed in RPE or symptom variables across menstrual cycle phases or between bleed and non-bleed conditions (all p > 0.05), although changes in negative symptoms approached significance. Negative symptoms were reported more frequently than positive symptoms across all groups, with the highest symptom burden observed during menstrual or bleed phases. Hormonal contraceptive users demonstrated the greatest contrast between bleed and non-bleed conditions, while irregular participants exhibited more consistent symptom patterns. Cycle length variability was highest in irregular participants and lowest in hormonal contraceptive users. Despite these variations, no significant relationships were observed between RPE and menstrual symptoms.

These findings suggest that, although menstrual symptoms—particularly negative symptoms—vary across phases and between groups, perceived exertion remains stable in physically active females. This indicates that menstrual cycle phase, symptom burden, and cycle variability may not meaningfully impact perceived exercise effort, highlighting the importance of individualized symptom monitoring and supporting the ability of female athletes to maintain training intensity across the menstrual cycle.

OCLC Number

1592134775

Research Data and Supplementary Material

No

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