Before menopause, women have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease than men, but that changes after they transition. Although the reason is not fully understood, a new study in The Journal of Physiology offers one possibility: hormonal changes reduce capacity of women for form small blood vessels in your muscles, increasing the risk of cardiovascular conditions and especially type 2 diabetes.
Fortunately, the researchers suggest, this doesn't have to be inevitable, because short-term exercise can help — after menopause, but especially before it.
The researchers looked at two groups of women: 12 were between the ages of 59 and 70 and five were between the ages of 21 and 28. Both groups underwent a thigh muscle biopsy before starting, and then trained over a period of eight weeks using moderate-to-high-intensity spinning bikes.
The younger group that started exercising before reaching menopause showed an increase in the number of capillaries, or small blood vessels, in skeletal muscle tissue by the end of the study period, whereas the older group did not. . The capillaries, which help sugar and fat to be absorbed into the muscles for more efficient use as fuel, also have an effect on insulin resistance. That is why having less ability to develop new ones could lead to cardiovascular problems.
Benefits of exercising after menopause
However, that doesn't mean that postmenopausal exercise goes unnoticed. In the study, although they did not show significant hair growth, the older age group improved your exercise capacity by 15 percent. That, in itself, is a cardiovascular boost.
The link between the loss of estrogen, which occurs during menopause, and negative changes in blood vessels is well established. An earlier study suggested that some of the main symptoms of menopause, such as hot flushes and sleep disorders, may be related to this vascular aging process.
The main limitations of the current study are the small sample size and the short period of time. Still, it's a promising start that could lead to a larger study examining the potential long-term impacts of blood vessel changes during perimenopause or the menopausal transition.
Meanwhile, it's hard to get past the conclusion that even a few months of regular training could have a profound effect on heart health, both now and in the future.