What does this research mean for the field?

TikTok videos about cycle syncing are predominantly created by non-healthcare providers, have poor educational quality, and frequently prioritize affiliate marketing despite presenting an overwhelmingly positive perception of the practice. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.INCREMENTAL. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

What question did this study set out to answer?

To assess the educational quality, accuracy, and content of TikTok videos discussing menstrual cycle syncing for exercise.

September 14, 2026Sports Health A Multidisciplinary ApproachOpen Access

The Social Media Trend of Cycle Syncing: An Analysis of the Content and Quality of Videos on TikTok

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Authors

OLOlivia Leupold OAOlivia K. Anderson GGGiorgina Giampaolo

Discussion

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Overview

Cross-sectional study finds low educational quality in TikTok videos on cycle syncing, indicating a need for expert-led guidance.

Key Points

To assess the educational quality, accuracy, and content of TikTok videos discussing menstrual cycle syncing for exercise.
Cross-sectional query of TikTok conducted on April 18, 2024, analyzing 160 videos retrieved using search terms related to cycle phases and exercise.
Two independent reviewers extracted engagement metrics and classified content across 10 categories.
Two independent women's sports medicine and physiology experts evaluated educational quality using the modified DISCERN instrument (range 0–5) and the Global Quality Score (GQS, range 1–5).
Among the 160 evaluated videos (18.9 million total views), only 14 (9%) originated from healthcare providers, while 98% promoted a positive view of cycle syncing and 83% focused on exercise composition.
Videos exhibited poor educational quality, with a mean modified DISCERN score of 0.8 ± 0.5 and a mean GQS of 1.8 ± 0.6.
Affiliate marketing was prevalent, with 80% of videos marketing products, 75% of which directly related to cycle syncing.

Cite This Study

Leupold et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6aa7b2890926e14a848b0ecb https://doi.org/10.1177/19417381261479699

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September 14, 2026Sports Health A Multidisciplinary ApproachOpen Access

The Social Media Trend of Cycle Syncing: An Analysis of the Content and Quality of Videos on TikTok

View Full Paper

Ask AI

Bookmark

Authors

OLOlivia Leupold OAOlivia K. Anderson GGGiorgina Giampaolo

Discussion

Member takes

Overview

Cross-sectional study finds low educational quality in TikTok videos on cycle syncing, indicating a need for expert-led guidance.

Key Points

To assess the educational quality, accuracy, and content of TikTok videos discussing menstrual cycle syncing for exercise.
Cross-sectional query of TikTok conducted on April 18, 2024, analyzing 160 videos retrieved using search terms related to cycle phases and exercise.
Two independent reviewers extracted engagement metrics and classified content across 10 categories.
Two independent women's sports medicine and physiology experts evaluated educational quality using the modified DISCERN instrument (range 0–5) and the Global Quality Score (GQS, range 1–5).
Among the 160 evaluated videos (18.9 million total views), only 14 (9%) originated from healthcare providers, while 98% promoted a positive view of cycle syncing and 83% focused on exercise composition.
Videos exhibited poor educational quality, with a mean modified DISCERN score of 0.8 ± 0.5 and a mean GQS of 1.8 ± 0.6.
Affiliate marketing was prevalent, with 80% of videos marketing products, 75% of which directly related to cycle syncing.

Cite This Study

Leupold et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6aa7b2890926e14a848b0ecb https://doi.org/10.1177/19417381261479699

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