One of the effects of the application of cyclic stress, in most metals, is a change in stiffness. Some materials become harder while others initially soften as increasing numbers of cyclic stress are imposed. The effect of this changing stiffness on the distribution of stress during bending fatigue is examined. In general, the maximum stress, strain and bending moment are all observed to vary throughout the fatigue life. The manner of variation is dependent on the type of material as well as the loading conditions imposed. Experimental results are compared with calculated values based on cyclic stress-strain curves obtained in axial stress tests.