A Physiologist On The Best Exercise For Women Going Through Different Stages Of Menopause

Summary

In this interview, Dr. Stacy Sims, a performance physiologist, discusses the lack of research on menopause and its impact on active women. She emphasizes the importance of high-intensity interval training and resistance training for improving cardiovascular health and reducing belly fat during menopause. Dr. Sims also highlights the significance of adequate protein intake for muscle growth and jump training for bone health. She advocates for more accessible information on menopause management to empower women during this transition.

Takeaways

• 🏃‍♀️ The standard recommendation of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity is not suitable for women going through menopause transition.
• 🌡️ Women in menopause experience increased baseline cortisol and inflammation, which moderate-intensity exercise can exacerbate.
• 💪 Resistance training and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) are more beneficial for women in menopause to maintain muscle mass and cardiovascular health.
• 🏋️‍♀️ Lifting heavy weights is crucial for stimulating nerve and muscle responses, which can help combat age-related muscle loss.
• 🍗 Protein intake is critical for women in menopause to support muscle growth and reduce belly fat.
• 🦴 Jump training is important for bone health as it provides multi-directional stress that signals bone growth.
• 🔬 Research on menopause has historically focused on sick or sedentary women, neglecting the needs of active, healthy women.
• 📚 Dr. Stacy Sims' work aims to fill the gap in knowledge and provide practical advice for women going through menopause.
• 🌐 The information on menopause is not readily available, and there's a need for solid, reliable sources to guide women through this transition.
• 🌟 Dr. Stacy Sims has partnered with Stanford to provide lifestyle medicine information and is actively researching to improve women's health during menopause.

Q & A

What is the background of the person being interviewed?

The interviewee is a female Athlete, Performance Physiologist who specializes in training, nutrition, and how these apply to active women. She did her postdoc at Stanford under Marsha Stepanich, who was the PI for the Women's Health Initiative.

What was the focus of her work at Stanford?

Her work at Stanford focused on studying older postmenopausal women and applying human performance concepts to the menopause transition.

Why did she start researching menopause?

She started researching menopause because she realized that there was a lack of discussion around the topic and existing recommendations were not suitable for women's physiological changes during menopause.

What does she find problematic about the current exercise recommendations for menopausal women?

She finds the recommendation of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity inappropriate for women going through menopause transition or in menopause because it increases cortisol levels and can lead to increased body fat and decreased lean mass.

What type of exercise does she recommend for perimenopausal and menopausal women?

She recommends polarized training, including resistance training and high-intensity interval training such as sprint interval training or finding a hill or stairs to climb at high intensity.

How often should women in different menopause stages perform high-intensity training?

For perimenopause and early postmenopause, two to three times a week; for late postmenopause (10+ years after menopause), four times a week.

What is the importance of resistance training for women experiencing menopause?

Resistance training is crucial for maintaining and building muscle mass, which is tied to estrogen levels, and for improving bone health, brain health, and glucose control.

Why is jump training recommended for women going through menopause?

Jump training is recommended because it provides multi-directional stress through the bones, which signals bone to grow and regenerate, helping prevent osteoporosis.

What is the role of protein in the diet of menopausal women?

Protein is important for building lean mass, reducing body fat, and overcoming anabolic resistance that comes with aging. The current daily recommendation may not be sufficient for active or aging women.

What is the Menopause 2.0 program and where can people find it?

The Menopause 2.0 program is an online course that provides information on menopause, training, nutrition, sleep, and pelvic floor health. It can be found on the Stanford Lifestyle Medicine website and the interviewee's website, DrStacySims.com.

Why is information about menopause and exercise not more readily available?

The lack of readily available information is due to research focusing on sick or sedentary women, a delay in science translation, and the prevalence of less accurate information on social media.