Exercise training reduces the frequency of menopausal hot flushes by improving thermoregulatory control

Abstract

Objectives: Post-menopausal hot flushes occur due to a reduction in oestrogen production causing thermoregulatory and vascular dysfunction. Exercise training enhances thermoregulatory control of sweating, skin and brain blood flow. We aimed to determine if improving thermoregulatory control and vascular function with exercise training alleviated hot flushes.Methods: Twenty one symptomatic females completed a 7-day hot flush questionnaire and underwent brachial artery flow-mediated dilation and a cardiorespiratory fitness test. Sweat rate and skin blood flow temperature thresholds and sensitivities, and middle cerebral artery velocity (MCAv) was measured during passive heating. Females performed 16-weeks of supervised exercise training or control, and measurements were repeated. Conclusions: Exercise training that improves cardiorespiratory fitness reduces self-reported hot flushes. Improvements are likely mediated through greater thermoregulatory control in response to increases in core temperature and enhanced vascular function in the cutaneous and cerebral circulations. Results

A qualitative assessment of health behaviors and experiences during menopause: A cross-sectional, observational study

“…Furthermore, hormone dysregulation during the menopause transition is thought to lead to a narrowing of the thermoneutral zone, resulting in increased VMS severity and thereby increased episodes of insomnia. While exercise interventions may arguably widen the thermoneutral zone or increase the sensitivity to temperature changes during VMS [26], existing multi-center exercise interventions have failed to demonstrate improvements in VMS [27,28]. In the present study, women who reported higher exercise frequency had modestly less severe menopause-related symptoms.…”

Exercise training reduces the acute physiological severity of post‐menopausal hot flushes

“…a protocol to examine thermoregulatory control rather than examine responses during hot flush) before and after an exercise training intervention (Bailey et al . ). We found that exercise training improves thermoregulatory control and enhances the function of the cerebral and cutaneous circulations to passive heating alongside improvements in the frequency of menopausal hot flushes (Bailey et al .…”

“…We found that exercise training improves thermoregulatory control and enhances the function of the cerebral and cutaneous circulations to passive heating alongside improvements in the frequency of menopausal hot flushes (Bailey et al . ). More specifically, exercise training mediated a reduction in resting core temperature that enabled an earlier onset of sweating and cutaneous vasodilatation, improved sensitivity of sweating and attenuated reductions in cerebral blood flow during passive heating.…”

“…The self‐reported hot flush and cardiorespiratory fitness data are included in the current manuscript for comparison purposes, and have also been reported by Bailey et al . () who focused on the impact of improving thermoregulatory efficiency during heat stress on self‐reported hot flush frequency.…”

“…These improvements were characterised by a lower resting core body temperature, improving the temperature threshold for the onset of cutaneous vasodilatation and sweating, alongside improved sweating sensitivity to passive heating (Bailey et al . ). Similarly, exercise training also improves cerebrovascular function in middle‐aged and elderly individuals (Ainslie et al .…”