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7 Benefits Of Resistance Training For Women
The older we get, the more important it becomes to prioritise our health and wellbeing. Following a well-balanced diet, getting good-quality sleep consistently and getting regular exercise to stay strong, flexible and resilient are all key factors in promoting longevity.
It’s been found that in terms of diet, women consuming less fibre and eating more fat in midlife is associated with increased risk of weight gain, however studies report a decrease rather than an increase in calorie intake in midlife women. Moreover, weight gain in midlife women has been better explained by decreased levels of physical activity as opposed to increased calorie intake.
So should women be exercising more? Probably, and yes, it can absolutely help you lose weight but the benefits of exercise can go far beyond burning calories during your workout. The right type of exercise can change how you look and feel about your body and literally transform your body. Because not all exercise is created equal.
So to keep control of a changing body and give yourself the best results and protection in the face of declining muscle mass and metabolism, strength and stability, prioritising resistance training is the way to make a significant difference.
Exercise can be especially beneficial for perimenopause, menopause and post-menopausal women. And if you’re over 40, you’re perimenopausal whether you know it or not. We only find out retrospectively!
What happens during menopause?
Menopause is one of the most significant phases in a woman’s life. It’s where hormone levels decline and is defined as 12 months from where menstrual cycles come to an end.
Menopause typically happens between the ages of 45 and 55 but can be earlier and can come with a vast range of different physical and emotional changes that can be difficult to manage.
As you approach perimenopause and move through menopause, sex hormone production is reduced. These changes, combined with factors involved in the ageing process, can drive a significant drop in muscle mass and strength.
For women, particularly those perimenopausal or at menopause, maintaining muscle mass is crucial. The changes around the age of menopause can lead to reductions in muscle mass and strength, with a condition known as sarcopenia.
Understanding this relationship is a must. Muscle mass plays a crucial role in regulating not only metabolism and bone density but also maintaining healthy blood glucose levels and insulin sensitivity, and managing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
The amount of muscle mass you have really can change your body and can be a game changer.
The good news is that these hormonal changes such as menopause weight gain, loss of bone density, loss of muscle mass and reduced metabolism, increased cravings and blood sugars can all be targeted with resistance training.
The importance of building muscle in menopause
Menopause is a time of life that pretty much creates the perfect storm for weight gain, as changes in an ageing body coincide with hormonal changes. It’s a time when many women start to notice a shift in the metabolism.
Physical activity and resistance training play a key role in slowing muscle loss and increasing BMR and active energy expenditure.
Almost 30% of adults ≥50 years of age in the US report no physical activity outside of work.
The UK guidelines recommend adults should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity per week, or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity exercise, and should include muscle strengthening activities at least twice a week.
Studies following the dietary and lifestyle habits of 1143 women over a 15 year period around perimenopause and menopause age found that just 7.2% of the women reported physical activity levels that consistently met the recommendation over their midlife span.
It also found that 25% of midlife women had decreasing physical activity over a 15-year follow-up, and that the decrease in physical activity was associated with the most weight gain.
Muscle = Metabolism
The amount of muscle mass in the body impacts metabolic rate and as muscle mass declines the body then requires fewer calories to run on and stores excess calories as fat. This is because muscle mass is not only what firms and shapes the body, it’s metabolic tissue and calorie hungry, requiring calories 24/7.
Studies show that BMR (basal metabolic rate) / RMR (resting metabolic rate) decline linearly with age, meaning the body uses fewer calories/energy. Consequently, as a woman ages, weight gain can naturally occur if dietary habits and physical activity remain unchanged.
Muscle mass is one of the strongest determinants of BMR, how many calories your body needs, and the major contributor to the decline in BMR with age. As such, age-related muscle mass loss may explain most of the decline in BMR in midlife women. After the age of 30, muscle mass loss occurs at a rate of 3–8% per decade, making it more challenging to maintain muscle mass.
In addition, this is further exacerbated by the hormonal changes around menopause. Estrogen deficit is associated with increased inflammatory markers that are associated with muscle degradation. Moreover, estrogen acts directly on muscle stem cells to promote muscle maintenance, regeneration, and repair, effects that are attenuated after menopause.
There is also some evidence that lower testosterone levels are associated with lower body lean mass, and increased risk of sarcopenia in women – the gradual progressive loss of muscle mass strength and function. Women experience loss of androgen hormones, which includes testosterone, as they age. This is mainly during the early reproductive years, with a slower decline during midlife. Therefore, androgen loss may also contribute to the muscle loss in midlife women, and hence to the decrease in BMR.
It’s not just sex hormones causing chaos. Skeletal muscle is also a primary site for glucose (carbohydrate) uptake in response to insulin. Insulin shunts glucose (blood sugars) into our cells to provide energy and having more muscle mass provides a larger reservoir for the disposal of glucose and results in enhancing the body’s insulin sensitivity.
This means that with increased muscle mass, the body can better manage blood sugar levels and, in turn, reduce not only cravings but reduce the risk of insulin resistance and associated metabolic disorders.
Engaging in regular resistance exercise is likely to be the single biggest change a woman can make in order to maintain and increase muscle mass and reap these benefits.
The benefits of resistance training in menopause
Estrogen plays a crucial role in protecting various systems in a woman’s body and the decline of this hormone during perimenopause and menopause leads to several physiological changes, menopause symptoms and increased health risks.
Estrogen supports the body in several ways. Here are seven evidence based protective effects of estrogen that are lost or reduced during perimenopause and menopause and explain how resistance training can help:
- Cardiovascular Protection
Cardiovascular protection is number one on this list as heart disease and hypertension are among the leading causes of death in women. So it’s a big deal.
Menopause significantly impacts women’s cardiometabolic health and can increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and metabolic disorders.
The Framingham Heart Study found that postmenopausal women have twice the rate of cardiovascular events compared to premenopausal women.
Exercise training has been shown to improve cardiometabolic risk, decreasing abdominal visceral fat (internal fat that surrounds the organs) and improving insulin sensitivity.
A study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism found that postmenopausal women who participated in a 16-week resistance training programme experienced significant improvements in insulin sensitivity.
• Before menopause: Estrogen helps maintain healthy blood vessels by promoting vasodilation (widening of blood vessels) and reducing inflammation. It also regulates cholesterol levels by increasing HDL (“good” cholesterol) and lowering LDL (“bad” cholesterol).
• Post menopause: The loss of the protective effect of estrogen leads to an increased cardiometabolic risk, increasing the risk of heart disease, hypertension, and atherosclerosis.
Metabolic Changes
Some 99 per cent of female CVD deaths occur after the age of 45, coinciding with the menopausal transition.
• Dyslipidemia: Approximately 55% of menopausal women in England have high total cholesterol levels, compared to 21 per cent of premenopausal women.
• Body Fat Redistribution: Postmenopausal women experience a 36% increase in thoracic fat and a 49% increase in intra-abdominal fat compared to premenopausal women, contributing to heightened cardiometabolic risk.
• Insulin Resistance: Insulin resistance is where cells no longer respond as insulin, having built up resistance over time. This results in higher blood sugar levels and increased fat storage. There’s a 50% increase in insulin resistance during menopause, elevating the risk of type 2 diabetes, which affects 9% of menopausal women.
• Risk Increase: Menopausal women have a 2-3 fold increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions that raise the risk for heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
2. Bone Health
The decline in oestrogen during menopause can lead to decreased bone density, increasing the risk of osteoporosis where bones become more fragile and prone to breakage.
Strength training stimulates bone growth and helps maintain bone density, for stronger bones, improved stability and thereby reducing the risk of fractures.
• Before Menopause: Oestrogen supports bone density by inhibiting osteoclasts (cells that break down bone).
• Post Menopause: Bone loss accelerates, increasing the risk of osteoporosis and fractures.
Approximately 50% of women over the age of 50 will experience an osteoporosis-related fracture in their remaining lifetime.
A systematic review and meta-analysis found that women who experience early menopause (before age 45) have a 36% higher risk of fractures compared to those who undergo menopause later.
These statistics highlight the importance of proactive measures to maintain bone health after menopause, such as resistance exercise, ensuring adequate protein, calcium and vitamin D intake, and discussing bone density screening with healthcare providers.
3. Brain and Cognitive Function
Regular strength training has been linked to better mental health, improved sleep and mood with reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression, all of which are common menopause symptoms.
• Before Menopause: Estrogen has neuroprotective effects, enhancing memory, reducing inflammation, and promoting blood flow in the brain.
• After Menopause: The risk of cognitive decline, including Alzheimer’s disease, may increase.
4. Skin and collagen maintenance
Is your skin changing? Resistance training offers significant benefits for skin health and collagen production in aging women. Recent research has highlighted its role in enhancing skin elasticity, improving dermal structure, and increasing collagen synthesis.
• Before Menopause: Estrogen helps maintain skin elasticity, thickness and hydration by stimulating collagen production.
• Post Menopause: Skin becomes thinner, drier, and more prone to wrinkling.
A 16-week study of sedentary middle-aged women compared the effects of aerobic training (AT) and resistance training (RT) on skin aging. The findings revealed that both AT and RT significantly improved skin elasticity and the structure of the upper dermis.
Notably, resistance training also led to an increase in dermal thickness. Changes in gene expression also indicated increased collagen production and inflammatory factors involved in skin aging were also improved.
5. Weight gain and metabolic regulation
Increased muscle mass from resistance training boosts resting metabolic rate, supporting weight management, with menopause weight gain being a common menopause symptom.
• Before Menopause: Estrogen helps regulate metabolism and fat distribution, favouring fat storage in hips and thighs rather than the abdomen.
• Post Menopause: Body shape can change from pear shape to apple shape with increased abdominal fat and a higher risk of metabolic syndrome and diabetes.
6. Joint and Muscle Health
Resistance training helps counteract muscle loss by building and maintaining muscle mass, essential for overall mobility and daily activities. Resistance training has been shown to improve muscle strength, even in the absence of a significant change in muscle mass.
• Before Menopause: Estrogen has anti-inflammatory effects and supports muscle mass and joint lubrication.
• Post Menopause: Women may experience more joint pain, stiffness, and loss of muscle mass.
7. Urinary Health
Make your goal for a stronger body with a stronger abdominal area. During exercise sessions incorporate pelvic floor exercises – Kegels help strengthen pelvic muscles and reduce urinary incontinence.
• Before Menopause: Estrogen maintains the elasticity and moisture of urinary tract tissues.
• Post Menopause: Women may experience dryness in that area, with atrophy, painful intercourse, and increased risk of urinary tract infections.
7 Protein Benefits
To get the best results from resistance training it’s vital to support your body with sufficient protein.
Maintaining and building muscle requires protein. And most women don’t consume enough. So there’s a very good reason why protein powders are so popular with women who resistance train.
Protein really is key to building muscle. Protein is indispensable for maintaining and enhancing health and vital in muscle development, metabolic function, disease prevention and is even involved in the production of some hormones.
Combining resistance training with sufficient protein intake can significantly improve health outcomes for women of all ages, and especially in perimenopause and menopause and a changing body.
Here are 7 evidence-based reasons why resistance training and protein can really benefit women during perimenopause and menopause.
1. Muscle Growth and Repair: Proteins supply amino acids, the building blocks essential for muscle synthesis and repair.
Resistance training stimulates muscle protein synthesis. It involves making micro-tears in muscle fibres, and adequate protein then facilitates muscle repair and growth, resulting in increased muscle mass and strength.
2. Thermic Effect of Food (TEF): The thermic effect of food refers to the energy used during digestion, absorption, and metabolism processes in the body.
Protein has a higher TEF compared to other macronutrients, with estimates ranging from 20 to 30 per cent of calories. This means that 20 to 30 per cent of the calories from protein are used for its digestion and processing, contributing to increased energy expenditure.
3. Satiety and Weight Management: High-protein diets can enhance feelings of fullness, decrease hunger and prevent overeating, reducing overall calorie intake.
A meta-analysis of 24 trials, including 1063 individuals found that high-protein diets produced more favourable changes in body weight and triglycerides than a standard protein, low-fat diet.
4. Metabolic Health: Adequate protein intake supports metabolic health by maintaining muscle mass, crucial for sustaining a healthy metabolic rate. Plus, protein consumption can improve blood sugar regulation and insulin sensitivity.
5. Bone Health: Protein plays a role in bone structure and strength providing the necessary building blocks for bone tissue. Higher protein intake has been associated with increased bone density and a reduced risk of fractures.
6. Immune Function: Proteins are integral components of antibodies and immune cells, playing a critical role in the body’s defence mechanisms fighting against infections and illnesses.
7. Hormone Production: Several hormones are protein-based and adequate protein intake is essential for their synthesis and proper functioning.
FAQs – Resistance training for women & protein requirements
When should women start resistance training?
The earlier you start strength training the better, as you’ll be able to build healthy habits into your lifestyle. Consistency is key with resistance training.
How much protein do women need?
The RDA is 0.8g of protein per kg of bodyweight per day. This, however, is the minimum amount required for the body to survive and prevent disease, not necessarily the amount of protein for the body to thrive.
More protein is typically recommended when building muscle and performing resistance training. A recent 2025 study confirmed that during weight loss the rebuilding of the body is likely to need at least 1.2 g/kg body weight.
How to hit your protein goals?
Eat protein at every meal. One of the hardest meals to achieve this is breakfast, but you can easily get your protein hit with a delicious chocolate vegan protein powder from Pretty Pea. At under 100 calories, Pretty Pea protein is packed with essential women’s vitamins and minerals, plus dietary fibre to keep you feeling full for hours.
Why choose vegan protein powder?
Studies show plant based protein consumption is associated with a reduced risk for multiple diseases and overall mortality.
These results complement the recommendations by the American Institute for Cancer Research and the World Cancer Research Fund to reduce red and processed meat intake to decrease cancer incidence.
When changing your diet and or taking supplements its always advisable to consult with your healthcare providers to develop a personalised plan that addresses individual needs and health status.
References:
Protein requirement in obesity – PubMed
Weight Gain in Midlife Women – PMC
Increasing muscle mass to improve metabolism – PubMed
Protein Quantity and Source, Fasting-Mimicking Diets, and Longevity – ScienceDirect
Muscle mass and insulin sensitivity in postmenopausal women after 6-month exercise training
Exercise and insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis
