Perceptual and Motor Skillr, 1991, 72, 794.
O Perceptual and Motor Skills 1991
ACTIVITY LEVEL ACROSS THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE ' JOAN C. CHRISLER AND H E I D I R. McCOOL
Connecticut College Summary.-7 women recorded number of miles walked per day and oral temperature daily upon rising for 6 weeks. Analysis of variance indicated no significant differences in activity level associated with cycle phases but individual differences in activity level among subjects were significant. For many years women's energy and activity levels have been thought to be governed by endocrine fluctuations (1, 21, yet empirical investigations have been few. S t e m and Klinge (5) obtained continuous measurements of arm movement for seven women over 17 menstrual cycles and found no significant phase differences. Morris and Udry (3) analyzed the data of 24 women who wore pedometers daily through three menstrual cycles. The analysis of the group's data indicated three activity peaks, with the largest (and only significant) increase in activity occurring at ovulation. Two smaller peaks occurred premenstrually and menstrually (about Days 27 and 2). Parlee (4) studied seven women who completed the Profile of Mood States and the Thayer Activation-Deactivation Adjective Check List daily for 90 days. The group analyses showed that general activation was significantly higher premenstrually than around ovulation. The small numbers of subjects in these few studies and the apparent disagreement among the findings suggest that additional work is required. To explore this further, seven women enrolled in an undergraduate physiological psychology course participated in a study of "biorhythms" as a dass assignment. Each was given a basal thermometer and a Yamasa digital pedometer, which was adjusted for individual stride length. The women were instructed to record their oral temperature upon awakening each morning for six weeks. They were also instructed to affix the pedometer to a waistband or belt as soon as they were dressed each morning. At the end of the day (upon retiring) they were to record the number of miles walked to the nearest tenth and then reset the pedometer to zero. O n e week into the study, the women were casually asked to underline the days of the menses on their temperature graphs. The temperature graphs were used to divide the pedometer data into four menstrual cycle phases, and a repeated-measures analysis of variance was carried out. There were no significant differences in activity level from one cycle phase to the next (F,,,, = 2.86, p = .07); however, the individual differences among the subjects' activity levels was significant (F,,,, = 26.18, p
O Perceptual and Motor Skills 1991
ACTIVITY LEVEL ACROSS THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE ' JOAN C. CHRISLER AND H E I D I R. McCOOL
Connecticut College Summary.-7 women recorded number of miles walked per day and oral temperature daily upon rising for 6 weeks. Analysis of variance indicated no significant differences in activity level associated with cycle phases but individual differences in activity level among subjects were significant. For many years women's energy and activity levels have been thought to be governed by endocrine fluctuations (1, 21, yet empirical investigations have been few. S t e m and Klinge (5) obtained continuous measurements of arm movement for seven women over 17 menstrual cycles and found no significant phase differences. Morris and Udry (3) analyzed the data of 24 women who wore pedometers daily through three menstrual cycles. The analysis of the group's data indicated three activity peaks, with the largest (and only significant) increase in activity occurring at ovulation. Two smaller peaks occurred premenstrually and menstrually (about Days 27 and 2). Parlee (4) studied seven women who completed the Profile of Mood States and the Thayer Activation-Deactivation Adjective Check List daily for 90 days. The group analyses showed that general activation was significantly higher premenstrually than around ovulation. The small numbers of subjects in these few studies and the apparent disagreement among the findings suggest that additional work is required. To explore this further, seven women enrolled in an undergraduate physiological psychology course participated in a study of "biorhythms" as a dass assignment. Each was given a basal thermometer and a Yamasa digital pedometer, which was adjusted for individual stride length. The women were instructed to record their oral temperature upon awakening each morning for six weeks. They were also instructed to affix the pedometer to a waistband or belt as soon as they were dressed each morning. At the end of the day (upon retiring) they were to record the number of miles walked to the nearest tenth and then reset the pedometer to zero. O n e week into the study, the women were casually asked to underline the days of the menses on their temperature graphs. The temperature graphs were used to divide the pedometer data into four menstrual cycle phases, and a repeated-measures analysis of variance was carried out. There were no significant differences in activity level from one cycle phase to the next (F,,,, = 2.86, p = .07); however, the individual differences among the subjects' activity levels was significant (F,,,, = 26.18, p
