Foundations of Hormone Health in Peri/Menopause: Metabolism / Body Composition
Welcome to Part 1 of this series on the Foundations of Hormone Health in Peri/Menopause: Metabolism / Body Composition
Little did I know over 20 years ago, when this photo was taken, that I would one day be in the midst of Perimenopause focusing on hormone health to build and maintain body composition and metabolism that used to be relatively straightforward.
The Bad News:
Metabolic changes happen as a result of hormone changes normally starting as early as the mid-thirties and without intentional mitigation this adversely impacts body composition, basal metabolic rate, insulin sensitivity and blood glucose regulation.
Doing more cardio or eating less may have worked before, but will not improve the situation in this phase because these cause a catabolic (muscle breakdown) state and that is the opposite of what is needed when hormone changes are already leading to a default state of muscle breakdown.
The Good News:
Smart strength training as a regular habit can mitigate the default state of muscle breakdown in Peri/Menopause and improve body composition, basal metabolic rate, insulin sensitivity and blood glucose regulation.
In other words, if you can find a way to commit 2-3 days a week to performing functional movements with weight, starting with body weight and safely building up resistance/load, and you provide your body with the appropriate protein building blocks and recovery, you will see improvement in your body composition and metabolism.
The Why:
Skeletal muscle is the largest organ of the body and acts as an endocrine system
Normally, insulin is required to unlock the door for glucose to move into cells
After eating, blood sugar rises, insulin is released in response, and facilitates movement of glucose into cells to maintain a healthy blood sugar level and use or store the glucose
When muscles are active and contracting, they are not dependent on insulin to unlock the door for glucose to enter muscle cells
In fact, exercise is the strongest signal to increase glucose transporters on the membranes of skeletal muscle cells to facilitate efficient glucose uptake
Having healthy muscles, and using them, decreases the demand on insulin to manage blood sugar levels, and decreases the amount that gets turned into fat for storage
Building a reservoir of lean muscle impacts your insulin sensitivity and metabolism
Muscle mass declines as we age unless we provide the stimulus, building blocks, and recovery to tell the body to prioritize building and maintaining muscle
The How, #1:
Provide the Stimulus
Incorporate 2-3 days a week of training that focuses on functional movements starting with body weight and safely building up resistance/load
Work with a personal trainer or join a class if just starting
At all stages be sure you have a trainer or coach to check your mechanics
ALWAYS start with a comprehensive warm up - be wary of situations that do not provide ample opportunity to get the blood flowing, move the joints and activate the muscles that will be under load during the workout
Finish with a cool down and gentle stretching/mobility - functional strength is a balance of stability and flexibility
If you have any prior injuries or nagging joints/tendons/muscles see a Physical Therapist regularly to help bolster weak areas and ensure you build strength symmetrically (you may need to do single side exercises to overcome imbalances)
Learn how to listen to your body and when to push and when to back off
The How, #2:
Provide the Building Blocks
Get plenty of protein every day from real food
Start the day with at least 30 grams protein in the first meal
Have protein before and after strength training (can be a protein shake)
It can be challenging to get enough protein because it fills you up
Consider tracking protein intake for a week to get an idea of portion sizes for target grams
Target 1 gram per pound of ideal body weight/lean muscle mass per day for people with normal kidney and liver function and no gout or active cancer
The How, #3:
Provide the Recovery time
Incorporate at least 1 day of active recovery (walking, yoga, mobility, massage or other bodywork, sauna) in between strength training days and at least 1 full rest day each week
The time after the workout is when new/stronger muscle is actually made
Strength training tells the body it needs to prioritize repairing and making muscle
Taking in protein provides the building blocks
Rest and recovery after challenging workouts allows the body to do the work of repairing and making new muscle
Depending on your Genetic makeup (gene variations) you may respond more or less quickly to strength training and may need more or less recovery time to make gains most efficiently without risk of injury
Are you concerned you will get “big”?
It takes A LOT of dedication to get big and bulky - think full time job or daily obsession level of dedication…probably not gonna happen
Most often what happens with regular training is remodeling and strengthening of muscles so they can do more and better work, and shedding of excess fat
This is not about bulking up - it is about changing your body composition to improve your metabolic health
Even small changes in body composition can make a huge impact on overall health
Doing regular Body Composition assessments can help to track progress and understand the connection between body composition and basal metabolic rate
