Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage in Postmenopausal Well-Trained Women

摘要

Background: Sex hormone deprivation derived from menopause may affect exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD). No studies have previously evaluated this response between postmpenopausal and premenopausal eumenorrheic women over the menstrual cycle. Hypothesis: Postmenopausal women will present higher EIMD markers than premenopausal women, especially in comparison with the menstrual cycle phases where sex hormone concentrations are higher. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Level of Evidence: Level 3. Methods: Thirteen postmenopausal and 19 eumenorrheic women, all of them resistance-trained, performed an eccentric squat-based exercise. The postmenopausal group performed 1 bout of exercise, while the eumenorrheic group performed 3 bouts coinciding with the early follicular, late follicular, and mid-luteal phases ot their menstrual cycle. Muscle soreness, countermovement jump, creatine kinase (CK), myoglobin, lactate dehydrogenase, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-a, and C-reactive protein were evaluated before and postexercise. Results: The expected differences in sex hormones were observed between groups (P 0.05). Conclusion: Despite higher resting levels of myoglobin and lower strength values in postmenopausal than in premenopausal women, EIMD was similar between both reproductive profiles. This suggests a potential benefit of being . physically active despite aging and sex hormone deprivation. Clinical Relevance: Sex hormone deprivation derived from menopause seems not to influence muscle damage reponse to eccentric exercise in resistance-trained postmenopausal women.