Menstrual Cycles of Autonomic Functions and Physical Activities

Although there are many reports on the fluctuation of autonomic nervous function associated with the menstrual cycle, most of them are the comparison between two points during follicular and luteal phases. Also, autonomic nervous functions under free behavior are influenced by physical activities which could be also affected by the menstrual cycle. This study proposed a method using data of physical activity and heart rate variability measured over the total period of a menstrual cycle and analyzed activity-type-specific autonomic nervous functions. This method revealed the fluctuations of autonomic nervous functions with menstrual cycle that were not reported previously.