Exercise and Menopausal Symptoms

Researchers writing in the British Journal of General Practice say that their study “suggest(s) a positive association between somatic and psychological dimensions of health-related quality of life and participation in regular exercise. Women with BMI scores in the normal range reported lower vasomotor symptom scores and better health-related quality of life scores than heavier women.”

Daley A, Macarthur C, Stokes-Lampard H, McManus R, Wilson S, Mutrie N. Exercise participation, body mass index, and health-related quality of life in women of menopausal age. Br J Gen Pract. 2007 Feb;57(535):130-5.

BACKGROUND: Menopausal symptoms can affect women’s health and wellbeing. It is important to develop interventions to alleviate symptoms, especially given recent evidence resulting in many women no longer choosing to take hormone replacement therapy. Exercise may prove useful in alleviating symptoms, although evidence on its effectiveness has been conflicting.
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Be Active: Reduce Diabetes Risk, Live Longer

Jonker JT,De Laet C,Franco OH, Peeters A, Mackenbach J, Nusselder WJ. Physical Activity and Life Expectancy With and Without Diabetes. Diabetes Care 29:38-43, 2006

Researchers writing in the medical journal Diabetes Care, examined the relationship between active lifestyle, diabetes, and life expectancy. From the abstract:

OBJECTIVE—Physical activity is associated with a reduced risk of developing diabetes and with reduced mortality among diabetic patients. However, the effects of physical activity on the number of years lived with and without diabetes are unclear. Our aim is to calculate the differences in life expectancy with and without type 2 diabetes associated with different levels of physical activity.

CONCLUSIONS—Moderately and highly active people have a longer total life expectancy and live more years free of diabetes than their sedentary counterparts but do not spend more years with diabetes.

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Exercise, Abdominal Fat, Insulin Resistance

Researchers writing in The Journal of Applied Physiology studied 16 obese men and women, about 63 years old, during a 12 week exercise program. During the program the participants exercised 5 days a week for 60 minutes a day (treadmill/cycle ergometry @ 85% of heart rate max). Among the many things the researchers measured was total abdominal fat, subcutaneous fat (fat under the skin) and visceral fat (the fat that surrounds the organs).

From the study abstract: “Exercise improves glucose metabolism and delays the onset and/or reverses insulin resistance in the elderly by an unknown mechanism. In the present study we examined the effects of exercise training on glucose metabolism, abdominal adiposity and adipocytokines* in obese elderly.”

What the researchers found: “Visceral fat loss after aerobic exercise training improves glucose metabolism and is associated with the reversal of insulin resistance in older obese men and women.”

*Adipocytokines are a collective term for secretions from the fat cells that help regulate energy metabolism and food intake among other functions.

Reference: O’Leary VB, Marchetti CM, Krishnan RK, Stetzer BP, Gonzalez F, Kirwan JP. Exercise-induced reversal of Insulin Resistance in Obese Elderly is associated with reduced Visceral Fat.J Appl Physiol (December 22, 2005) Study abstract

Waist Size and Health Risks in 50-95 Year Olds

Researchers writing in the medical journal Diabetes Care say that while overall body fat and fitness levels are important in predicting health risks, it is your waist size or the measurement of abdominal obesity that is the still the measurement to assess health risk among older adults.

Racette SB, Evans EM, Weiss EP, Hagberg JM, Holloszy JO. Abdominal Adiposity Is a Stronger Predictor of Insulin Resistance Than Fitness Among 50–95 Year Olds. Diabetes Care 29:673-678, 2006

Excerpts From the study abstract
OBJECTIVE—Physical inactivity and increased adiposity contribute to insulin resistance; less is known, however, about the relative contributions of these factors in older adults. The aim of this study was to determine whether cardiovascular fitness, whole-body adiposity, or abdominal adiposity is the strongest predictor of insulin resistance into old age.

CONCLUSIONS—Adiposity and fitness continue to be significant predictors of insulin sensitivity into old age, with abdominal obesity being the most important single factor. These findings support the measurement of waist circumference to assess health risk among older adults.

Walking off Postmenopausal Decreases in bone mineral density, aerobic fitness, muscle strength, and balance

Researchers writing in the medical journal Physical Therapy say that “Menopause may induce a phase of rapid decreases in bone mineral density, aerobic fitness, muscle strength, and balance, especially in sedentary women.”
Asikainen TM, Suni JH, Pasanen ME, Oja P, Rinne MB, Miilunpalo SI, Nygard CH, Vuori IM.

Effect of brisk walking in 1 or 2 daily bouts and moderate resistance training on lower-extremity muscle strength, balance, and walking performance in women who recently went through menopause: a randomized, controlled trial. Phys Ther. 2006 Jul;86(7):912-23.

From the article abstract:
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Menopause may induce a phase of rapid decreases in bone mineral density, aerobic fitness, muscle strength, and balance, especially in sedentary women. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects and feasibility of an exercise program of 1 or 2 bouts of walking and resistance training on lower-extremity muscle strength (the force-generating capacity of muscle), balance, and walking performance in women who recently went through menopause.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The subjects were 134 women who recently went through menopause. The study was a 15-week, randomized, controlled trial with continuous and fractionated exercise groups. The outcomes assessed were lower-extremity muscle strength, balance, and walking time over 2 km. Feasibility was assessed by questionnaires, interviews, and training logs.

RESULTS: One hundred twenty-eight women completed the study. Adherence to the study protocol was 92%. Both continuous and fractionated exercise groups improved equally in lower-extremity muscle strength and walking time but not in balance. Almost 70% of the subjects considered the program to be feasible. Two daily walking sessions caused fewer lower-extremity problems than did continuous walking.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Brisk walking combined with moderate resistance training is feasible and effective. Fractionating the walking into 2 daily sessions is more feasible than continuous walking.

Exercise Induced and Calorie Reduction Weight Loss

Researchers writing in the Journal of Applied Physiology say that caloric restriction (dieting) can lower extremity muscle size and strength. While weight loss due to exercise does not.

Weiss EP, Racette SB, Villareal DT, Fontana L, Steger-May K, Schechtman KB, Klein S, Ehsani AA, Holloszy JO; Lower extremity muscle size and strength and aerobic capacity decrease with caloric restriction but not with exercise-induced weight loss. J Appl Physiol. 2007 Feb;102(2):634-40. Epub 2006 Nov 9

Strength Training and Nutritional Counseling Benefits In Women

Sallinen, J. Fogelholm, M. Pakarinen, A.Juvonen, T. Volek, J.S. Kraemer, W.J. Alen, M. Hakkinen, K. Effects of strength training and nutritional counseling on metabolic health indicators in aging women.J. Appl. Physiol. (2005) 30(6): 690-707.

Writing in the Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology, researchers noted that long-term strength training and nutritional counseling had positive effects of metabolic health indicators.

From the study abstract:
“Effects of strength training (ST) and nutritional counseling (NC) on metabolic health indicators were examined in 50 aging women.

Methods: Subjects performed ST for 21 weeks. NC was given to obtain sufficient energy and protein intake, and recommended intake of fat and fiber.

Results: NC increased intake of protein and polyunsaturated fat by 4.5% and 10.7% and decreased intake of saturated fat by 18.3%. Serum concentrations of total cholesterol (TC), LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C), total and HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio and triacylglycerols (TAG) decreased, and serum HDL-C increased in all subjects after ST.

Respectively, systolic and diastolic blood pressure and serum insulin concentration decreased in all subjects.

Respectively, changes in serum TC levels were related to protein intake, and changes in serum HDL-C to intake of fat, and inversely to carbohydrate and protein in all subjects.

Conclusions: The long-term ST (strength training) had favorable effects on serum lipids, lipoproteins, insulin concentration, and blood pressure. However, NC further contributed to positive changes in serum lipids and lipoproteins.”

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Exercise, Diabetes, Diabetes Risk

Researchers writing in the Medical Journal Diabetes Care say patients may need more convincing that exercise assists in diabetes management and diabetes risk management.

From the study abstract:
“With increased focus on the obesity and diabetes epidemics, and the clear benefit of exercise in disease prevention and management, this study determined the lifetime prevalence of health professional advice to exercise among individuals with or at risk for diabetes.

A total of 73% of adults with diabetes were told by a health professional to exercise more versus 31% of adults without diabetes. The proportion receiving advice increased as the number of diabetes risk factors increased until reaching similar rates as people with diabetes.

Health professionals advised most patients with or at highest risk for diabetes to exercise, suggesting recognition of its importance for disease management. As risk factors declined, fewer patients were advised to exercise, suggesting missed opportunities for disease prevention. However, exercise has not increased proportional to exercise advice. The challenge remains converting patient awareness into behavior change.”

Morrato EH, Hill JO, Wyatt HR, Ghushchyan V, Sullivan PW. Are Health Care Professionals Advising Patients With Diabetes or At Risk for Developing Diabetes to Exercise More? Diabetes Care 29:543-548, 2006

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You May Need To Exercise More To Avoid Fat Accumulation Associated With Aging

Researchers publishing in the journal Clinical Nutrition say: “Cross-sectional data have shown that sarcopenia (age associated muscle loss) and fat accumulation are associated with aging and can be limited by structured physical training. However, it is often difficult to maintain a long-term compliance to training programs. It is not clear whether leisure-time physical activity is effective in preventing sarcopenia and fat accumulation.

CONCLUSIONS: Mild but significant decline in muscle mass and its TBK (Total Body Potassium) content, and body fat accumulation were observed over a 3-year period in healthy elderly subject: leisure-time physical activity does not seem to prevent them. However, a higher level of physical activity is associated with higher muscle mass and TBK content, and less total and truncal fat.” Read the abstract

Raguso CA, Kyle U, Kossovsky MP, Roynette C, Paoloni-Giacobino A, Hans D, Genton L, Pichard C. A 3-year longitudinal study on body composition changes in the elderly: Role of physical exercise. Clin Nutr. 2005 Dec 2

Researchers examine the role of exercise on anxiety, depression and quality of life in seniors

Depression, anxiety and quality of life scores in seniors after an endurance exercise program.

Antunes HK, Stella SG, Santos RF, Bueno OF, Mello MT.Rev Bras Psiquiatr. 2005 Dec;27(4):266-271.

Writing in the medical journal Revista Brasileira de Psiquiatria, researchers sought to examine 46 sedentary seniors aged 60-75. The seniors were divided into two groups. One group began an aerobic exercise regiment, the other group (the control group) did not.

The researchers stated from the study abstract: “Mood disorders are a frequent problem in old age, and their symptoms constitute an important public health issue. These alterations affect the quality of life mainly by restricting social life. The participation in a regular exercise program is an effective way of reducing or preventing the functional decline associated with aging.”

“Comparing the groups after the study period, we found a significant decrease in depressive and anxiety scores and an improvement in the quality of life in the experimental group, but no significant changes in the control group.”

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