A meta-analysis of six RCTs in inactive postmenopausal women found combined exercise and reduced calorie diet, lasting 16 to 52 weeks, lowered estrogen and testosterone levels more than exercise alone.
Reported an improvementMeta-analysis · 1,588 participants pooled · 52 weeks · 2018PostmenopausalCited 37 timesPubMed
Over 12 months, overweight postmenopausal women assigned to diet, exercise, or both reported lower estrogen and testosterone levels, with the largest effects in combined diet plus exercise.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 439 women · 52 weeks · 2012PostmenopausalCited 162 timesPubMed
A review of 43 studies found diet and exercise interventions, especially combined with weight loss, better controlled estrogen levels linked to breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women.
Reported an improvementSystematic review · 2021PostmenopausalCited 28 timesPubMed
Overweight postmenopausal women did 12 months of diet, aerobic exercise, or both; diet and diet plus exercise raised adiponectin and lowered leptin, exercise alone had smaller effects.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 439 women · 52 weeks · 2013PostmenopausalCited 100 timesPubMed
Overweight postmenopausal women lost weight over 16 weeks via diet or mainly exercise, and exercise produced greater fat loss, preserved lean mass, and some differences in sex hormones compared to diet.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 243 women · 16 weeks · 2015PostmenopausalCited 66 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.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 87 women · 26 weeks · 2011PostmenopausalCited 56 timesPubMed
Overweight or obese postmenopausal women completed 12 months of diet, exercise, or both; the combined diet plus exercise group showed a significant rise in fasting ghrelin versus controls.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 439 women · 52 weeks · 2015PostmenopausalCited 35 timesPubMed
Overweight postmenopausal women did 12 months of exercise, diet, or both, and diet-based weight loss groups showed a small increase in the IGF-I to IGFBP-3 ratio versus control.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 439 women · 52 weeks · 2013PostmenopausalCited 31 timesPubMed
Overweight, glucose-intolerant postmenopausal women assigned to an intensive lifestyle program with weight loss and 150 minutes weekly exercise had small FSH increases linked to weight loss over one year.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 382 women · 52 weeks · 2015PostmenopausalCited 25 timesPubMed
Overweight postmenopausal women did a year of diet, exercise, combined, or no intervention, and those with sustained weight loss at 30 months had greater decreases in free estradiol and testosterone and higher SHBG.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 439 women · 78 weeks · 2019PostmenopausalCited 22 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women with glucose intolerance in an intensive lifestyle program combining weight loss and 150 minutes weekly exercise showed increased SHBG and lower DHEA, linked to lower glucose levels.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 382 women · 2012PostmenopausalCited 21 timesPubMed
Overweight postmenopausal women lost weight via diet alone or exercise plus diet over 16 weeks, and fat loss was linked to favorable changes in sex hormones and inflammatory markers.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 243 women · 16 weeks · 2017PostmenopausalCited 20 timesPubMed
Overweight postmenopausal women followed a 12-week low-energy diet with or without exercise; adding exercise did not further change leptin levels beyond diet-induced weight loss.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 121 women · 12 weeks · 1998PostmenopausalCited 24 timesPubMed
In 68 obese postmenopausal women, 12 weeks of treadmill exercise combined with the MIND diet improved cognitive and functional levels and changed sex hormone levels compared with diet alone.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 68 women · 12 weeks · 2022PostmenopausalCited 14 timesPubMed
In overweight postmenopausal women completing a 12-month diet and exercise weight-loss program, adding vitamin D3 versus placebo did not change sex hormone levels overall.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 218 women · 52 weeks · 2016PostmenopausalCited 10 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal breast cancer survivors with overweight or obesity did 52 weeks of exercise, diet, or both; none of the interventions significantly changed estradiol, SHBG, or testosterone versus control.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 269 women · 52 weeks · 2022PostmenopausalCited 7 timesPubMed
In healthy postmenopausal women, a 24 month moderate intensity physical activity program lowered blood leptin and resistin levels compared with controls, with no significant change from diet alone.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 234 women · 104 weeks · 2023PostmenopausalCited 7 timesPubMed
Obese postmenopausal women who did a 6-month weight loss program with or without aerobic or resistance exercise reduced body fat, insulin and leptin, but adiponectin levels did not change.
Mixed resultsControlled trial · 40 women · 26 weeks · 2003PostmenopausalCited 121 timesPubMed
Obese postmenopausal women did aerobic training plus diet for 12 weeks and researchers reported greater changes in sex hormones and clotting markers than diet alone.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 40 women · 12 weeks · 2022PostmenopausalCited 4 timesPubMed
In 98 overweight postmenopausal women, 3 months of diet with or without exercise produced weight and fat loss that was linked to baseline sex hormone binding globulin rather than initial fat distribution.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 98 women · 12 weeks · 1995PostmenopausalCited 6 timesPubMed
In 234 healthy postmenopausal women over 24 months, a plant based diet intervention lowered estradiol levels, while a physical activity intervention alone showed no effect on sex hormones.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 234 women · 104 weeks · 2025PostmenopausalCited 1 timesPubMed
In a 17 week trial of high protein diet with or without strength training, women showed more altered oxidative stress markers, suggesting lower estrogen secretion during menopause.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 116 women · 17 weeks · 2025PostmenopausalCited 1 timesPubMed
In 22 postmenopausal women on or off hormone therapy, a 3-week low-fat, high-fiber diet with aerobic exercise raised SHBG and lowered insulin, BMI and cholesterol.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 22 women · 3 weeks · 2000PostmenopausalCited 48 timesPubMed
Overweight postmenopausal women followed a low-fat high-fiber diet with daily exercise classes for 2 weeks, reducing serum estradiol, insulin and IGF-I levels.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 38 women · 2 weeks · 2006PostmenopausalCited 34 timesPubMed
In postmenopausal women with overweight or obesity, 6 months of aerobic exercise plus weight loss produced 8% weight loss but no significant change in cortisol levels.
No difference foundControlled trial · 60 women · 26 weeks · 2025PostmenopausalPubMed
Seven obese postmenopausal women completed a 12 week diet and exercise program and showed reduced body fat, higher fitness, and lower serum and breast ductal estradiol levels.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 7 women · 12 weeks · 2012PostmenopausalCited 11 timesPubMed