Exercise and Hot Flashes and Other Menopause Symptoms

Even if you don’t have hot flashes, stay with me on this because this episode is on exercise and hot flashes. We’re going to dissect the science and eradicate “science says” as a cry for validity by influencers. 

Hot flashes are one of the most common symptoms of menopause. I’ll talk about the relationship between exercise and hot flashes along with other menopause symptoms like muscle loss or fat increase.

 

In previous podcast episodes and books, I’ve shared researcher comments about whether exercise could mitigate menopause symptoms. The answer, “Yes, provided it’s intense enough.” 

 

The Science

A 2024 study on 72 pre, peri and postmenopausal women, published in the Menopause Journal of The Menopause Society, looked at the impact of minutes spent in 3 exercise intensities and body composition on total menopause symptoms (TMS). 

• More symptoms were associated with higher body fat. Intense physical exercise improves % body composition and may reduce TMS, beneficial for perimenopausal women. 
• An article published by the American College of Sports Medicine, looked at protein turnover changes, muscle size, quality and strength during menopause. All seemed to decline. 

 

What we don’t know [Dr Stuart Phillips’ response to Mary Claire Haver’s Instagram post regarding estrogen’s impact on muscle] is the cause for these changes.

 

Is there evidence for causation between decline of estrogen and decrease in muscle mass, which some women experience: 

• Insomnia 
• Poor mood, depression or anxiety
• Lack of motivation (serotonin receptors)
• A time crunch in midlife 
• Comfort or emotional eating 

Repeatedly, women will say, “I haven’t changed a thing, but my results have changed.”
That would be true if you didn't change what it was you were doing.
If your hormones have changed, we have to change the exercise.

 

Another 2024 study in Menopause Journal showed both moderate intensity and resistance training exercise will decrease hot flash occurrence in some women, especially in women with depression. 

• High Intensity - more impact on body composition and positive impact on hot flashes

• Moderate Intensity - decreased hot flash occurrence

 

Exercise and Hot Flashes, Estrogen and Muscle

Whether we’re talking about exercise and hot flashes or estrogen and muscle loss, so many variables could be at play, even if the science is a randomized double-blind study with a large enough subject pool.

• If hormones have changed, we have to change the exercise (including nutrition and sleep habits) or it’s not going to work. 
• If medications become important, then we have to look at micronutrients because they’re depleted by each prescription or OTC med. If you don’t absorb micronutrients you don’t have optimal muscle or strength buil