No abstract

Leg exercise hemodynamics during single-leg knee extensions were compared among healthy groups of early perimenopausal (n = 15), late perimenopausal (n = 12), and early postmenopausal (n = 11) women. Femoral blood flow (FBF) and vascular conductance (FVC) at rest and during very light work rates (0 and 5 W) were similar among all three menopause stage groups. Vascular responses at 10 W (FBF) and 20 W (FBF and FVC) were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in early perimenopausal compared with late perimenopausal women. At 15 and 25 W, FBF and FVC were similar between late perimenopausal and early postmenopausal groups but higher (P < 0.05) in early perimenopausal women as compared with the other two menopausal groups. In the combined sample of all three menopause stage groups, follicle-stimulating hormone was significantly correlated with vascular conductance during submaximal (15 W) exercise (R = −0.56, P < 0.001), even after adjustment for age, fitness, LDL cholesterol, and abdominal fat (R = −0.46, P = 0.005). Collectively, these findings suggest that in middle-aged women, there is an association between menopause stage and leg vascular responsiveness during exercise.

The aim of the present study was to determine if leg function is associated with ventilatory efficiency during exercise in healthy older adults. 24 women and 18 men aged 60–80 years performed treadmill exercise to fatigue for calculation of ventilatory efficiency using the ratio of ventilation to carbon dioxide at the anaerobic threshold (VE/VCO2@AT). On a separate day, participants performed leg strength testing and graded single-leg knee extension exercise. The VE/VCO2@ AT was higher in women than men (33 ± 3 vs. 30 ± 3; p = 0.03). After adjustment for age and VO2max, leg strength (knee extensor isometric force) was inversely associated with VE/VCO2@ AT in women (r = −0.44, p = 0.03) while no relationships were found for men. Strength-matched women and men had similar VE/VCO2@AT indicating that the correlation between leg strength and VE/VCO2@AT was strength-but not sex-specific. During knee extensor exercise, women with lower leg strength had increased VE/VCO2 slope across 0–15 W as compared to higher strength women (38 ± 8 vs. 31 ± 3; p < 0.05), while no differences were found for men. These results find leg strength to be associated with ventilatory responses to exercise in healthy older women, a finding that might be related to lower leg strength in women than men.

No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.