Does general physical activity affect hormone levels in menopause? What 14 studies found

A meta-analysis of 18 randomized trials in healthy women found that physical activity programmes reduced circulating estradiol and testosterone levels, independent of menopausal status.

Reported an improvementMeta-analysis · 1,994 participants pooled · 2015Midlife womenCited 143 timesPubMed

A review of trials and cohort studies in pre and postmenopausal women found physical activity mostly decreased estrogens, progesterone and androgens, and increased sex hormone binding globulin, with small effect sizes.

Mixed resultsSystematic review · 2022Midlife womenCited 30 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

173 sedentary, overweight postmenopausal women did a 12-month moderate exercise program, and those who lost more body fat had greater declines in testosterone than controls.

Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 173 women · 52 weeks · 2004PostmenopausalCited 106 timesPubMed

Sedentary overweight postmenopausal women did a year-long moderate-intensity physical activity program versus stretching, with limited evidence that sleep changes affected exercise-related weight, ghrelin or leptin changes.

Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 173 women · 52 weeks · 2007PostmenopausalCited 59 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

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

Postmenopausal women tracked physical activity over 2 years and researchers found higher activity was linked to lower estradiol levels in both hormone-treated and untreated women.

Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 194 women · 104 weeks · 2011PostmenopausalCited 15 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

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 267 postmenopausal women, higher physical activity was associated with lower estrone, estradiol and androstenedione levels, independent of BMI.

Reported an improvementCross-sectional study · 267 women · 2006PostmenopausalCited 235 timesPubMed

In 302 postmenopausal women aged 50 to 74 from an exercise trial, one-year changes in IGF-I were linked to small changes in mammographic breast density.

Mixed resultsCohort study · 302 women · 52 weeks · 2013PostmenopausalCited 5 timesPubMed

In 46 postmenopausal women with anxiety-depressive symptoms, a one-month spa program based on physical activity was linked to increased adrenal steroid levels and reduced neurotic symptoms.

Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 46 women · 4 weeks · 2019PostmenopausalCited 13 timesPubMed

In 493 women, higher moderate to vigorous and light physical activity, including aerobic activity and weight training, was linked to lower estradiol and higher SHBG levels.

Mixed resultsCross-sectional study · 493 women · 2019Midlife womenCited 6 timesPubMed