With age, women begin to lose muscle mass, but this process can accelerate with perimenopause and menopause. The progressive decline in hormones, mainly estrogen, during perimenopause and menopause contributes to muscle loss. However, early awareness helps prevent long-term weakness, as it can be managed with physical activity, resistance training, nutrition, and many other tips that you can learn in this article. Doctify has women’s health specialists with extensive experience who are ready to accompany and help you through this process.
How do hormones influence muscle mass and strength?
Oestrogen plays a very important role in muscle repair and recovery since oestrogen may influence a more rapid recovery and repairs of skeletal muscle by acting to reduce postinjury muscle necrosis. During perimenopause and menopause the hormone levels start to decline progressively, leading to a deficiency of oestrogen. Oestrogens affect skeletal muscle strength in females by preserving muscle mass and quality of the contractile proteins.
What is sarcopenia, and when should women be concerned?
Sarcopenia is the progressive loss of muscle mass and strength related to age. The signs might start to manifest little by little such as reduced grip strength or slower recovery. Early changes can begin before obvious frailty because it is a progressive condition and can be prevented with multiple methods, like physical activity, nutrition, among others.
Why does strength sometimes decline even if activity levels stay the same?
Sometimes, strength can be declined even though activity levels stay the same. This is since, with age the recovery capacity is reduced, and changes in metabolism and body composition start to arise. That’s why progressive overload in training is fundamental to maintain and even improve muscle mass that is lost with age and with perimenopause and menopause.
How can resistance training protect against muscle loss?
Scientists have evidenced that resistance and weight training is more effective than cardio alone because of its capacity to preserve muscle quality, build bone density, support metabolism changes, and reduce risk of falls. Frequency and intensity is very important when training for preserving muscle mass, women should exercise for a minimum of 150 minutes per week. It can be organized as follows: 5 days of 30 minutes of exercise per day or 3 days of 50 minutes of exercise per day.
Here are some safe starting point exercises for beginners we recommend for women that want to protect themselves against muscle loss:
- Chair-based squats for lower body strength.
- Wall push-ups for upper body development.
- Resistance band rows for back muscles.
- Standing calf raises for ankle stability.
- Seated core rotations for trunk support.
- Bridge lifts for hip mobility.
Nevertheless, the key here is consistency. You can do many exercises in one day but if you are not consistent, you will not see significant results in time.
What role does nutrition play in maintaining lean tissue?
As training and physical activity is fundamental for maintaining muscle mass, nutrition also plays an important role. An adequate protein intake is required in order to replenish through nutrition all the muscle that is being lost with age. As well, vitamin D has a role in maintaining muscle mass because high levels of vitamin D can increase lean tissue without affecting weight. Meaning that the intake of vitamin D can help redistribute calories from fat to muscle with the help of exercise.
On the other hand, under-fuelling can worsen muscle loss because muscle protein synthesis drops, resulting in less strength gain and reduced repair capacity. That is why training should always be accompanied with an increased consumption of proteins and a balanced diet.
When should muscle weakness be assessed by a clinician?
If experiencing any of the following signs or symptoms of muscle weakness, we recommend to schedule a medical appointment with a gynaecologist:
- Unexplained or rapid decline in strength
- Associated fatigue, weight loss, or balance issues
- Concerns about falls or functional limitations
How can women access specialist support?
It is known that with age, women start to lose their muscle mass. Yet, many women have seen multiple benefits with resistance and weight training, tailored exercise, and also important, balanced nutrition. But you are not alone in this process. GP or women’s health specialists are available for hormonal assessment and working with you in the process. Doctify helps patients find trusted women’s health professionals, read verified reviews, and book appointments for personalised care.
Feel free to consult a gynaecologist through Doctify for personalised advice whenever you want, we will be happy to help you! Find the best gynaecologyists in the United Kingdom or search for the best specialists globally:
