Fitness
These 2 types of training are best for menopausal cardio health
Navigating menopause and its symptoms can be destabilising and overwhelming. However, if you’re curious as to which exercises are best, a new meta-analysis and systematic review published in PeerJ comparing five different types of exercise on reducing cardiovascular risk in postmenopausal women found that, while almost all exercise styles improved the health of the heart and lungs, prioritising interval training and aerobic-combined-with-resistance training was recommended for the most benefits.
How was the study conducted?
32 studies involving 1427 postmenopausal female participants were analysed to find out the effect of certain different types of exercise on reducing cardiovascular risk, including:
- Continuous endurance training, including traditional aerobic exercise such as walking, running, cycling, rowing, swimming, circuit training, and moderate-intensity continuous training, at over 85% of VO2 max (the maximum amount of oxygen an individual can take in and use when exercising at 100% intensity)
- Interval training – intermittent, short bursts at moderate to high intensities of any of the above cardio exercises
- Resistance training, including exercises using free weights, weight machines and resistance bands
- Aerobic combined with resistance training – a combination of endurance and resistance training
- Hybrid training – any training involving both cardio and strength
How were outcomes measured?
These are the criteria used to determine which types of exercise were the best for postmenopausal women:
Flow-mediated dilation
Ten studies, with 394 participants, measured flow-mediated dilation, or how much a blood vessel widens when blood flows through it, to determine whether it is functioning well. Less dilation can indicate problems with blood vessels and low flow-mediated dilation can be a predictor of future cardiovascular disease.
Compared to the control group, endurance training, interval training, resistance training and hybrid training all improved flow-mediated dilation in postmenopausal women, with the meta-analysis’ ranking suggesting that interval training was the most effective for increasing dilation. Incidentally, another study also demonstrated that 12 weeks of yoga improved blood-vessel function and how well it supplied oxygen and nutrients in post-menopausal women.
Exercise with best results for flow-mediated dilation: interval training
Pulse-wave velocity
18 studies examined pulse-wave velocity, or the time it takes for the pressure generated by one heart beat to travel through your blood vessels. A higher value indicates stiffer arteries, whereas a lower pulse-wave velocity suggests more elastic and healthier arteries. All exercise types were more effective than the control group in improving pulse-wave velocity in participants.
Exercise with best results for pulse-wave velocity: all
Augmentation index
Five studies comprising 163 participants evaluated augmentation index, a measure used to assess the stiffness of arteries and the health of the cardiovascular system by tracking the increased pressure caused by a reflected pressure wave of a heartbeat. A higher index suggests stiffer arteries. The studies showed that, compared to the control group, interval training and hybrid training demonstrated significant improvement in the augmentation index, while endurance and resistance training also showed more effectiveness than the control group.
Exercise with best results for augmentation index: interval training and hybrid training
Intima-media thickness
Intima-media thickness was measured in five studies, with 415 menopausal women participating. Intima-media thickness measure the thickness of two layers of an artery – the middle and innermost layers. The thickness of the layers is an indicator of atherosclerosis, where plaque builds up in the arteries. Increased thickness is a predictor of cardiovascular events. All exercise types except for resistance training were superior to the control group in reducing thickness, though it was not significant.
Exercise with best results for carotid intima-media thickness: all except resistance training
The conclusion
Based on the meta-analysis’ ranking, interval training and aerobic-combined-with-resistance training had the highest probability for being the most effective at reducing the risk for cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women.
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