Exercise Strengthens Grip and Gait in Women After Menopause
Graded Moderate — pools 17 trials with random assignment and 744 women; the trials were small, varied in design and mostly lasted only a few weeks or months.
- Design
- Meta-analysis
- Participants
- 744
- Duration
- —
- Funding
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
Women with muscle loss after menopause gripped harder and walked faster after structured exercise programs.
Age-related muscle loss is common in women after menopause, partly because of hormonal changes. An analysis that pooled 17 trials found that structured exercise helped women who had it. They gripped harder, walked faster and balanced longer on one leg. The clearest gain came in an everyday test: getting up from a chair, walking a few meters, turning and sitting back down.
The trials included 744 women with muscle loss in total. In each one, chance decided who exercised. Most programs ran two to three times a week for 6 to 24 weeks. They used elastic bands, kettlebells or Tai Chi combined with strength work. Comparison groups kept their usual routine or did other activity such as dancing or walking. One measure of muscle mass rose slightly, while a second showed no clear difference. Body fat dropped a little, and BMI showed no clear change.
The trials were small and differed a lot. Muscle mass was mostly measured with a weak electric current, much like a body fat scale. Only three trials checked whether the gains lasted after training stopped.
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