Research
Adherence
Body Image Dissatisfaction (BID) is significantly associated with menstrual cycle-based mental health effects (anxiety and depression), but not with physical menstrual characteristics like cycle length or regularity.
High body image dissatisfaction in strength athletes is linked to mental health struggles during your cycle (anxiety/depression), not necessarily physical changes in your period. Prioritize mental health support alongside nutrition.
ModerateQualifiesMEDIUM confidence
Both BID and EDs were significantly associated with MC-based mental health effects; this is likely due to the interconnected nature of mental health concerns, such as EDs with depression and anxiety.
Why this rating
Survey-based self-reporting of mental health perceptions.
Source
The associations between calorie tracking, body image dissatisfaction, eating disorders, and menstrual cycle characteristics in resistance-trained athletes
Kimberly SantaBarbara et al. · Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition · 2024
DOI 10.1080/15502783.2024.2433743
cross_sectional · n=809Cited 1×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Resistance-trained female athletes exhibit a significantly higher prevalence of calorie tracking (64.6%) compared to the general population, with competitive athletes tracking more frequently (71.8%) than recreational athletes.Moderate
- Eating Disorder (ED) diagnosis is significantly associated with amenorrhea in resistance-trained athletes, consistent with Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs) models.Moderate
Related findings · Adherence
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- Resistance exercise is the only intervention capable of consistently restoring muscle function and strength in sarcopenia, partially overcoming age-related anabolic resistance.Strong
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