title: Anthropometric and cardiovascular responses to hypertrophic resistance training in postmenopausal women.
abstract: Menopause induces a phase of decreased physical fitness and altered body composition characterized by increased total and abdominal fat and reduced lean mass. It is, however, inconclusive which specific resistance training (RT) subtypes can reverse these deleterious changes in postmenopausal women.
  
  
  
  Thirty-seven postmenopausal women were randomized to a 6-week nonexercising control group (n = 18) or hypertrophic RT group (n = 19) that engaged in two 40-minute sessions weekly using three sets of 12 repetitions at 67% to 85% one-repetition maximum for 10 whole-body exercises.
  
  
  
  RT significantly improved resting heart rate (69.05 ± 11.19-63.80 ± 4.94 bpm, P = 0.017), systolic blood pressure (125.85 ± 4.86-124.05 ± 3.98 mm Hg, P < 0.0001), diastolic blood pressure (81.20 ± 7.50-77.90 ± 6.85 mm Hg, P < 0.0001), rate-pressure product (8,712.40 ± 1,408.21-7,952.90 ± 782.72, P = 0.003), blood glucose concentration (6.06 ± 0.52-5.70 ± 0.52 mmol/L, P = 0.009), fat mass (21.53 ± 7.07-19.75 ± 6.40 kg, P = 0.001), percentage body fat (30.66% ± 5.08%-25.49% ± 9.89%, P = 0.026), body mass index (24.50 ± 3.85-24.27 ± 4.04 kg/m, P = 0.050), waist circumference (80.04 ± 8.57-73.19 ± 18.44 cm, P = 0.045), sum of skinfolds (22.91 ± 6.05-20.72 ± 5.26 mm, P < 0.0001), upper-body muscle strength (20.12 ± 5.65-23.77 ± 7.10 kg, P < 0.0001), and lower-body (16.28 ± 5.47-16.44 ± 5.62 kg, P = 0.001) muscle strength.
  
  
  
  A 6-week hypertrophic RT program, performed even twice weekly, produces substantial simultaneous improvements in multiple anthropometric, cardiovascular, and muscle strength variables in postmenopausal women. This program can be recommended for inclusion in any exercise training regime or as an adjunct lifestyle approach in combination with other treatments in postmenopausal women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sport and Movement Studies, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa.
authors.forename: Brandon S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: Monique
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gouveia
authors.forename: Shannon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: McIntyre
authors.forename: Ina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Shaw
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000886:Anthropometry; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002320:Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena; D002319:Cardiovascular System; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000502:physiology*; D055070:Resistance Training / Q000379:methods*; D055105:Waist Circumference
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose