Strength training and the menopause - Part 2

If you missed the first part of this three part series you can read it here. 

This is the second benefit of strength training for menopausal women: 

You get stronger

Strength training improves your ability to contract your muscles and produce force. Therefore, everyday tasks become easier and elicit less fatigue.  

Did you know? 

Muscle strength has been shown to decline significantly in menopausal women.  A study in the Journal of Clinical Science found a decrease in isometric hand-grip strength and dynamic leg strength by 10% and 9% respectively in middle-aged women, 1-3 years after the onset of the menopause. This can reduce your functional performance and make everyday activities more difficult than they were before the menopause.  

But fear not, strength training can help you reduce this reduction in strength - or even stop it dead in its tracks - via improving your body's ability to recruit your muscles.  

How do your muscles adapt to strength training? 

Increases in muscle strength occur due to a combination of muscle fibre and neuromuscular adaptations.  

In short, muscle fibres can both increase in size and become more efficient at producing force.  

Importantly, you can achieve higher levels of strength without increasing your muscle size. So please do not worry ladies... strength training is not going to turn you into Pop-eye or the Incredible Hulk anytime soon!  

How much can I expect to improve my strength after onset of the menopause? 

A study published in the Journal of Aging and Health (2009) found that post-menopausal women demonstrated improvements of 39% on the force produced by the legs and a 46% increase on the force of the upper body. That is a fantastic improvement! 

Interestingly, the participants trained only three times per week for 24 weeks and their average age was 57-75 years of age. So ladies, it is never too late to start strength training and experience the benefits.  

We've seen it time and time again in the gym, ladies who start strength training exponentially increase their strength levels.  

Furthermore, studies show that your tendon and ligament strength improves when exposed to weight-bearing exercise. This can improve your joint stability, joint function and reduce the risk of injury.  

Importantly, a study published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research (2017) found that high intensity (heavy) resistance exercise has been shown to prevent bone loss, reduce the risk of falls and fractures, and in some cases, contribute to an increase in bone density.  

But here's the most interesting thing about this study... 

These benefits were shown in menopausal women who trained for just 30 minutes, twice per week. How amazing is that! 

So even if you can only train twice per week, you can still benefit hugely from strength training.  

Watch out for part 3 soon.  

-Coach Alex