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Menstrual cycle and voluntary food intake
E J Gong1, D Garrel, D H Calloway
1Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of California, Berkeley 94720.
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
|February 1, 1989
Summary
Women consume significantly more calories during the luteal phase of their menstrual cycle compared to other phases. Sucrose intake showed no significant changes related to the menstrual cycle.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Endocrinology
- Nutritional Science
- Human Physiology
Background:
- The precise quantification of dietary intake variations throughout the human menstrual cycle remains limited.
- Understanding these fluctuations is crucial for reproductive health and metabolic studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and quantify voluntary energy and sucrose intake patterns across different phases of the menstrual cycle in women.
- To determine if specific menstrual cycle phases are associated with significant changes in caloric or sucrose consumption.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the weighed-intake method for precise food consumption measurement.
- Employed portable tape recorders to facilitate real-time recording of dietary intake.
- Monitored seven women aged 24-43 years throughout one complete menstrual cycle.
Main Results:
- Energy intake was significantly higher during the luteal phase compared to the periovulatory and follicular phases (p < 0.05).
- Estimated increase in energy intake during the luteal phase was 283 kcal versus the periovulatory phase and 214 kcal versus the follicular phase.
- No significant differences in energy intake were observed between the menstrual, follicular, and periovulatory phases.
Conclusions:
- Caloric intake significantly increases during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle.
- Sucrose intake did not demonstrate a significant relationship with the menstrual cycle phases.
- Further research can explore the hormonal and metabolic drivers of luteal phase hyperphagia.
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