A meta-analysis found whey protein combined with resistance training improved biceps strength and lower limb lean mass in postmenopausal women, but had no benefit without resistance training.
No difference foundMeta-analysis · 2022PostmenopausalCited 18 timesPubMed
A meta-analysis of 11 trials in women aged 60 and over with sarcopenic obesity found exercise reduced body fat percentage and improved muscle mass and handgrip strength, with no change in gait speed.
Reported an improvementMeta-analysis · 532 participants pooled · 2025PostmenopausalCited 1 timesPubMed
A meta-analysis of 19 studies found resistance training combined with vitamin D supplementation had a positive effect on body composition and physical activity capacity in middle-aged women with sarcopenia.
Reported an improvementMeta-analysis · 2021Midlife womenCited 6 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal Japanese women who walked 45 minutes 3 times weekly for a year had reduced fat mass, increased HDL cholesterol, and less bone loss at the hip.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 136 women · 52 weeks · 2006Early postmenopausalCited 87 timesPubMed
In postmenopausal Japanese women over 24 weeks, walking combined with isoflavone intake increased HDL cholesterol and decreased body fat, with bone density effects depending on equol-producer status.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 128 women · 24 weeks · 2006PostmenopausalCited 82 timesPubMed
Overweight postmenopausal women who walked three times weekly for 12 weeks with or without an EGCG supplement showed reduced waist circumference and body fat, with no difference between supplement and placebo.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 38 women · 12 weeks · 2007PostmenopausalCited 95 timesPubMed
Overweight postmenopausal women did 6 months of resistance and aerobic exercise with or without soy isoflavones; exercise reduced fat mass and increased lean mass, with no added benefit from isoflavones.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 100 women · 26 weeks · 2011PostmenopausalCited 65 timesPubMed
Obese postmenopausal women following a calorie-restricted diet and exercise, with or without soy isoflavones, for 6 months showed lower leptin and TNF-alpha, with adiponectin rising only in the soy group.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 87 women · 26 weeks · 2011PostmenopausalCited 56 timesPubMed
In 46 postmenopausal women, 16 weeks of resistance training with or without soy protein increased muscle mass and reduced waist circumference, while soy alone lowered cholesterol and LDL.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 46 women · 16 weeks · 2007PostmenopausalCited 61 timesPubMed
Obese postmenopausal women did six months of exercise with or without isoflavone supplementation, and exercise plus isoflavone reduced body weight and abdominal fat more than exercise alone.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 50 women · 26 weeks · 2007PostmenopausalCited 57 timesPubMed
Obese postmenopausal women with high blood pressure did 8 weeks of whole-body vibration training with or without L-citrulline, and vibration training increased leg strength and lowered leg artery stiffness.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 41 women · 8 weeks · 2015PostmenopausalCited 48 timesPubMed
Early postmenopausal women with osteopenia doing high-intensity weight-bearing resistance training three times weekly for about 13 months improved spine bone density, lean mass, body fat, strength and menopausal symptoms versus low-intensity controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 54 women · 56 weeks · 2021Early postmenopausalCited 38 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women aged 65 plus took ultra-low-dose estrogen or placebo with calcium and vitamin D for 3 years, with no change found in muscle mass, body fat or physical performance.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 167 women · 156 weeks · 2005PostmenopausalCited 40 timesPubMed
In sedentary postmenopausal women, 12 weeks of combined endurance and resistance training improved body composition, performance and insulin sensitivity, with no added benefit from DHEA supplementation.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 31 women · 12 weeks · 2008PostmenopausalCited 49 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women did strength training three times weekly for 12 months, with or without etidronate, and gained muscle strength and lean mass and lost fat, but exercise did not add to bone density gains from the drug.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 48 women · 52 weeks · 2002PostmenopausalCited 46 timesPubMed
Early postmenopausal women did periodized high intensity resistance and impact exercise for a year, and spine bone density was maintained versus a significant decline in the non-exercise control group.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 128 women · 52 weeks · 2010Early postmenopausalCited 30 timesPubMed
Over 14 weeks, postmenopausal women doing circuit resistance training with energy-restricted diets and calcium or vitamin D supplements showed improved strength, aerobic capacity and varying body composition changes by diet and supplement combination.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 128 women · 14 weeks · 2020PostmenopausalCited 22 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women did exercise plus Mediterranean diet, with or without soy isoflavones, for 24 months; the soy group showed greater drops in fat mass, glucose, insulin and inflammation markers.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 65 women · 104 weeks · 2012PostmenopausalCited 30 timesPubMed
In 72 postmenopausal women, 8 weeks of circuit resistance training at low or moderate intensity, with or without Zataria supplementation, reduced body fat and inflammatory markers RBP-4 and TNF-alpha.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 72 women · 8 weeks · 2019PostmenopausalCited 24 timesPubMed
Obese postmenopausal women did 6 months of mixed exercise training with or without phytoestrogens, and both groups had reduced CRP and leptin, with no added benefit from phytoestrogens.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 52 women · 26 weeks · 2012PostmenopausalCited 28 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women did 9 months of resistance training or stretching with ibuprofen or placebo; exercise did not change bone density but increased strength and reduced body fat versus stretching.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 90 women · 36 weeks · 2016PostmenopausalCited 22 timesPubMed
A systematic review of 34 studies in postmenopausal women found strength training improved body composition, muscle strength and bone density, while added protein gave no extra strength benefit.
Reported an improvementSystematic review · 1,541 participants pooled · 2026PostmenopausalPubMed
Postmenopausal women followed a 12-month dairy, calcium and vitamin D plus lifestyle counseling program, calcium alone, or usual diet; the lifestyle group showed less loss of leg lean mass than the other groups.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 101 women · 52 weeks · 2009PostmenopausalCited 23 timesPubMed
Over 9 months, postmenopausal women doing resistance training gained muscle mass and strength and limited fat gain, while soy isoflavone supplementation alone did not change body composition.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 71 women · 39 weeks · 2010PostmenopausalCited 23 timesPubMed
Overweight or obese postmenopausal women did 6 months of mixed exercise with isoflavone supplement or placebo; the isoflavone group showed greater reductions in fat mass and CRP inflammation than exercise alone.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 34 women · 26 weeks · 2014PostmenopausalCited 24 timesPubMed
In 244 women aged 45 to 65 doing a 4-month resistance exercise program, adding a fortified milk drink gave extra gains in lean mass, bone content and balance but not in muscle strength versus exercise with placebo.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 216 women · 16 weeks · 2020Midlife womenCited 14 timesPubMed
Overweight postmenopausal women did 16 weeks of resistance training with or without DHA supplementation, with training maintaining bone mineral content, increasing lean mass and strength, and improving glucose tolerance.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 16 weeks · 2021PostmenopausalCited 36 timesPubMed
Older postmenopausal women did 32 weeks of elastic band resistance training with or without seawater supplementation and researchers found resistance training, not the supplement, drove improved strength and lower body fat.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 93 women · 32 weeks · 2023PostmenopausalCited 10 timesPubMed
After 6 months of combined aerobic and resistance exercise, postmenopausal women taking phytoestrogens showed greater reductions in weight, fat mass and blood pressure than those on placebo.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 21 women · 26 weeks · 2010PostmenopausalCited 17 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women aged 50 to 60 did treadmill training twice weekly for six months, with or without phototherapy, and showed improved cholesterol and reduced skinfold thickness.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 30 women · 26 weeks · 2017PostmenopausalCited 10 timesPubMed
In 30 postmenopausal women doing 10 weeks of combined aerobic and resistance exercise, adding isoflavone supplementation did not change body composition phase angle compared to placebo.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 30 women · 10 weeks · 2019PostmenopausalCited 9 timesPubMed
In 40 overweight or obese postmenopausal women with low vitamin D, 8 weeks of water-based aerobic training with vitamin D3 improved BMI, grip strength, balance and gait speed more than either alone.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 40 women · 8 weeks · 2025PostmenopausalCited 5 timesPubMed
In 26 postmenopausal women, 8 weeks of combined exercise with ursolic acid supplementation raised handgrip strength more than exercise with placebo, but waist circumference and other outcomes did not differ.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 26 women · 8 weeks · 2021PostmenopausalCited 6 timesPubMed
In 35 untrained perimenopausal and postmenopausal women, 10 weeks of resistance training with or without leucine supplementation increased visceral fat and fat-free mass and altered adipokine levels in both groups.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 35 women · 10 weeks · 2024Midlife womenCited 3 timesPubMed
Peri and postmenopausal women and men did 6 weeks of resistance training with a post-workout supplement or carbohydrate only, and the supplement group gained more fat-free mass and lost more fat and waist circumference.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 20 women · 6 weeks · 2025Midlife womenCited 3 timesPubMed
In 47 obese middle-aged women, 8 weeks of HIIT improved cardiorespiratory endurance but increased waist circumference, while adding probiotics preserved the endurance benefit and reduced hip circumference.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 47 women · 8 weeks · 2024Midlife womenCited 1 timesPubMed
Early postmenopausal women did high impact aerobic, jumping and resistance exercise for 50 months, maintaining spine bone density and improving cholesterol, body fat and strength versus non-training controls.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 68 women · 217 weeks · 2007Early postmenopausalCited 18 timesPubMed
43 middle-aged adults including peri and postmenopausal women did 6 weeks of resistance training with a pre-workout supplement or carbohydrate alone, both groups improved body composition and strength similarly.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 43 women · 6 weeks · 2025Midlife womenPubMed
Postmenopausal women did 12 weeks of combined strength and endurance training with or without protein and carbohydrate supplementation, and researchers found increased strength with no added benefit from supplementation.
Mixed resultsControlled trial · 51 women · 12 weeks · 2023PostmenopausalCited 3 timesPubMed
A review reported that calcium supplementation plus aerobic training increased femoral neck cortical bone density in postmenopausal women, while exercise also increased trabecular bone in the spine.
Mixed resultsOther · 1998Midlife womenCited 25 timesPubMed