A new study from the University of Copenhagen shows that menopause may lead to insulin resistance which is associated with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. However, the study also shows that high-intensity training three times a week may counteract this effect. Indeed, the benefit of exercising is not affected by menopause as previously been assumed.

So if you are going through menopause put on your exercise outfit and get up on that spin bike. You will experience the same great effect of your high-intensity training as before your menopause. On many other levels, menopause will affect the woman's body, for instance in the form of a higher risk of developing of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, but – as shown by a new study from the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences - menopause does not reduce the benefit of exercise.

“In our present society, overweight and inactivity are becoming more common. It is a negative development, but fortunately, our new studies show that it is not too late to start exercising during menopause. It is also a good idea to take a closer look at our societal structure at a higher level, trying to ensure that physical activity becomes a natural part of our everyday life, for instance at our workplace or in terms of more active transport,” said Camilla Mandrup, MD, PhD from the Department of Biomedical Sciences.

The study has investigated the insulin sensitivity and the absorption of glucose in the muscle mass of the entire body and specifically in the femoral muscles of women before and after menopause. When you suffer from poor insulin sensitivity, it may be the first sign that you are developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, and the study shows that postmenopausal women do indeed have reduced insulin sensitivity. The researchers also wanted to investigate whether high-intensity training may improve the reduced sensitivity of women after menopause, measured by the absorption of glucose in the muscle mass during insulin stimulation.

During exercise, the muscles become better at absorbing glucose and storing it as glycogen. Glycogen is the way we store sugar in the muscles. It is good to have high levels of sugar in the muscles which be metabolised quickly and efficiently. Thus, if we absorb sugar in our muscles, the sugar will not be absorbed by the fatty tissue, where we cannot metabolise it in the same way, thus increasing the risk of becoming overweight.

The study has compared two groups of women aged 45-57 years. One group consisted of 21 women who had not yet reached menopause, while the other group of 20 women was just past menopause. Common to all women was that they had exercised for less than two hours per week over the past two years. Both groups had to perform high-intensity training for three months, three times a week, where the heart rate was increased to a maximum. The women had their heart rate measured during every single training session to allow the researchers to calculate the intensity of regular exercise. Among other things, the women had their insulin sensitivity and their muscle mass measured, before and after the three months.

It turned out that both groups benefited greatly from the exercise. Their insulin sensitivity increased, and they were able to better absorb glucose and store it as glycogen. In particular, the researchers were pleasantly surprised that the group of women who had passed menopause still saw a great effect of the training even though it had previously been assumed that the effect deteriorated following menopause.

“Menopause is rarely something we talk about. Menopause is a taboo and associated with many negative elements. I hope that with the new positive knowledge we can rebut some of the bias by showing that exercise works just as well on your postmenopausal body as before. Healthy menopausal women can do somethin