Cardiac autonomic regulation across the menstrual cycle is highly individual: evidence from phase-aligned cyclic generalized additive mixed models
Abstract
Using dense longitudinal monitoring and ovulation-aligned cycle scaling, this study shows that vagally mediated heart rate variability does not follow a consistent population-level rhythm across the menstrual cycle. Instead, cardiac autonomic regulation exhibits pronounced individual-specific cyclic patterns and is strongly influenced by day-to-day fluctuations in subjective well-being. These findings help explain previously inconsistent menstrual cycle effects on heart rate variability.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic Control
Stress Responses and Cortisol
Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
Publication details
- Journal / source
- American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology
- Publisher
- American Physiological Society
- Volume
- 330
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- R623–R630
- Publication date
- 21 April 2026
- Language
- EN