Tucker Jessica A L, McCarthy Seth F, Bornath Derek P D, Khoja Jenna S, Hazell Tom J
Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON N2L 3C5, Canada.
Nutr Rev. 2025 Mar 1;83(3):e866-e876. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuae093.
Energy intake may differ across the menstrual cycle, with some studies identifying greater energy intake in the luteal phase (LP) compared with the follicular phase (FP) and others finding no clear differences. To date, no study has systematically synthesized the available data to draw more definite conclusions while considering any methodological inconsistencies between studies.
The aim was to conduct a systematic review/meta-analysis in an effort to determine if there are differences in energy intake between the FP and LP.
A systematic search strategy was developed and the search was conducted in 5 databases for studies that investigated any changes in energy intake across menstrual phases.
Using Covidence, studies were identified and included if they contained individuals between the ages of 18 and 45 years, maintained an average body mass index (BMI) of 18.5-25 kg/m2, had no history of disordered eating, and included energy intake and menstrual cycle measurements in the FP and LP.
Effect sizes were calculated for each study and a random-effects model was used to pool the results of each study.
Fifteen datasets were included consisting of 330 female participants with a mean age of 26 ± 4 years and mean BMI of 22.4 ± 2.3 kg/m2. Overall, there was a statistically significant difference (standardized mean difference = 0.69; P = .039) with increased energy intake in the LP compared with the FP (crude 168 kcal⋅d-1 average difference between phases).
Energy intake was found to be greater in the LP compared with the FP, providing insight into the effect of the menstrual cycle on energy intake. However, there were repeated methodological inconsistencies and future work should strive to utilize best practices for both energy intake measurement and menstrual phase specification.
能量摄入在月经周期中可能存在差异，一些研究发现黄体期（LP）的能量摄入量高于卵泡期（FP），而另一些研究则未发现明显差异。迄今为止，尚无研究在考虑研究间方法学不一致性的同时，系统地综合现有数据以得出更明确的结论。
旨在进行系统评价/荟萃分析，以确定卵泡期和黄体期之间的能量摄入是否存在差异。
制定了系统的检索策略，并在5个数据库中进行检索，以查找研究月经周期各阶段能量摄入变化的研究。
使用Covidence软件，若研究纳入年龄在18至45岁之间的个体、平均体重指数（BMI）维持在18.5 - 25kg/m²、无饮食失调史且包含卵泡期和黄体期的能量摄入及月经周期测量数据，则将其识别并纳入。
计算每项研究的效应量，并使用随机效应模型汇总每项研究的结果。
纳入了15个数据集，共330名女性参与者，平均年龄为26±4岁，平均BMI为22.4±2.3kg/m²。总体而言，存在统计学显著差异（标准化均值差 = 0.69；P = 0.039），与卵泡期相比，黄体期的能量摄入增加（各阶段平均差异为168kcal·d⁻¹）。
发现黄体期的能量摄入高于卵泡期，这为月经周期对能量摄入的影响提供了见解。然而，存在反复的方法学不一致性，未来的研究应努力采用能量摄入测量和月经周期界定的最佳实践方法。
