Hormone Muscle Influences
As with many things in life, nothing stays the same. The world around us, and within our bodies, is ever changing. This is especially true when we look at muscle composition and the influence that hormonal changes have on building and maintaining muscle. From puberty to menopause, there are changes that occur and influence a female’s muscle mass throughout her life! This area of research is expanding and evolving but continue reading this blog post for what we currently know.
Here is the low down: estrogen supports muscle growth and strength development. This means that there are phases of a menstrual cycle, pregnancy changes, and menopause, where estrogen levels change and the condition for muscle strengthening is influenced. But that does not mean we have to age as frail and weak little old ladies; this just means we adapt and adjust to what works with the body’s estrogen cycle to maintain and build strength.
For some, before we hit the peri-post menopause phase of life, there may be changes that occur in the body due to pregnancy. Pregnancy changes a lot of things, read more about pregnancy and pelvic floor changes here: Children Really Do Change Everything. During this time there are a lot of hormonal changes, such as an increase in estrogen, progesterone, and relaxin. For our muscles, these hormonal influences mean there is hormonal support for protecting, maintaining and building strength and improving flexibility. Every pregnancy is different, please check with your health care provider before engaging in physical activities to ensure they are safe for you and your baby.
I believe that aging is a privilege and with this privilege there comes a rate of normal muscle loss that occurs starting in their 30s. There is a difference in this rate of muscle loss between males and females, which is suspected to be due to hormonal differences and changes. The current working hypothesis is that estrogen benefits muscle strength, which will change the muscle response in post-menopausal and estrogen-deficient females. The rate at which muscle strength declines is seen to be accelerated around the same age that females enter their post-menopausal phase of life. Studies that also included participants that are on hormone replacement therapy for estrogen revealed a mitigated muscle loss response. Hormone replacement therapy helped to decrease the muscle strength loss in participants – but that doesn’t mean it would be right for you. Please check with your doctor to ensure HRT would be best suited for your body’s needs!
When it comes to our pelvic floor, hormonal fluctuations heavily influence how this system operates because of the estrogen and progesterone receptors that are found in the tissues of pelvic floor muscles, urogenital ligaments and the uterus. So a lot of women may notice that symptoms of urinary incontinence kinda pop up around menopause because the integrity and composition of the muscles are directly impacted.
Menopause does not have to be the decline of muscle strength or beginning of a frail aging process. Here are some ways that Dr Stacy Sims, a leading expert in female sports physiology, suggests that strength can be embraced during the menopause phase of life:
A New Chapter: This transition SHOULD be embraced. Understanding the changes and working with them, instead of being controlled by them, will make all the difference in an individual’s health and fitness as they age.
Strength training: “lift heavy shit” is a common catchphrase for Dr Stacy Sims. If you’re new to strength training, work with a professional to work your way up to heavy lifting. Low-repetition, high-intensity strength training is key to mitigating muscle loss, increasing metabolism, and increasing bone density.
Sprint Interval Training: Time-efficient, short intensity interval training can help improve and build muscle mass, aerobic and metabolic health. This type of cardio training looks like 30 seconds or less of MAX effort, followed by a 2-4 minute recover. Think about sprint intervals, cycling, rowing, elliptical or other gym movements. Hard and fast is the key. Please work with a professional trainer if this is a new type of movement for your body to ensure it is right for you!
Nutritional adaptations: Protein, the key nutrient for building and maintaining strength. As muscles age and the metabolism shifts due to hormonal influences, protein becomes even more important. To help support muscle growth and recovery, we need optimal protein intake. For more information on protein, see previous blog post Protein Power.
Learning to work with the body as it adapts and changes to new hormone levels is key to again with strength. These are changes that we are not able to avoid, but are able to learn about, and find what feels best in our own bodies! Aging is a privilege, but becoming frail is not necessarily a part of living a long life. Work with your body by strength and interval training, and nourishing with protein to support your muscles!
References:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2873087/
https://www.drstacysims.com/newsletters/articles/posts/menopause
https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness/how-female-hormones-affect-exercise-at-every-age#prenatal
