The effect of 4 weeks of yoga practice and cinnamon supplementation on PMS and sleep quality in inactive university girls

Document Type : Research Paper I Open Access I Released under (CC BY-NC 4.0) license

Authors

Sport Science Department, Human Faculty, Persian Gulf University, Bushehr, Iran

Abstract

Aim: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) as one of the most common hormonal disorders, can adversely affect sleep quality. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of four weeks of yoga training and cinnamon supplementation on PMS and sleep quality in physically inactive female university students

Method: 60 female university students (23.7 ± 1 age years) selected in a targeted and accessible manner which diagnosed with PMS using the Premenstrual Symptoms Screening Tool and assessed for sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) participated voluntarily in this study. Participants were randomly assigned to four groups (n=15): supplementation, exercise, supplementation + exercise, and control. Cinnamon capsules (1000 mg) were administered from three days before menstruation until 72 hours post-onset. Yoga exercises were conducted under supervision for four weeks, four days per week, and 45 minutes per session. Data were analyzed using two-way ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc test at a P ≥ 0.05 significant level.

Results: Compared to the control group, PMS scores significantly improved in the exercise group (P= 0.001) and the supplementation + exercise group (P=0.001), whereas the supplementation group alone showed no significant improvement (P= 0.243). Similarly, sleep quality significantly improved in the exercise group (P= 0.001) and the supplementation + exercise group (P= 0.001) compared to the control group, while no significant difference was observed in the supplementation group (P = 0.804).

Conclusion: Yoga training, with or without cinnamon supplementation, appears to be an effective non-pharmacological intervention for alleviating PMS symptoms and improving sleep quality.

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Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 29 May 2025
  • Receive Date: 07 May 2025
  • Revise Date: 28 May 2025
  • Accept Date: 29 May 2025
  • First Publish Date: 29 May 2025