Menopause - 2 Phases and 1 Distinct Point in Time
For the past few Wellness Wednesdays I am sharing what I'm learning in my Menopause course with Dr Stacy Sims. I have explored the power of your period. I have taken a close look at estrogen in all its forms. Today we are defining menopause.
Menopause should really be called the menopause transition because it has two distinct phases, peri- and post-, and 1 distinct point in time, actual menopause, when you've gone 12 months without a period. Peri-menopause is the time leading up to the cessation of your period. For most women this is a five year phase but some can experience symptoms 10 years out. Peri-menopause starts when the estradiol or E2 and progesterone ratios change. These ration changes can be mild or wild and your peri-menopuse symptoms will reflect that.
Peri-menopausal symptoms include fatigue, anxiety, changes in period regularity (cycling outside of "normal" 28 days), changes in flow amounts, hot flashes, weight gain, belly fat, not adapting to training, sleep disruptions, and the list goes on.
Hormonally we have a reduction in our body's ability to build muscle. This is driven in part by a decrease in estradiol, a decrease in the sensitivity of estrogen receptors, AND a reduction in our ability to synthesis protein (due to other hormonal shifts.) This means we need to increase our strength training and our protein intake. This is when women who don't do any strength training (or protein eating) begin to have a breakdown in bone density and develop osteopenia or osteoporosis. The other really, really important hormonal shift is decreased sensitivity to insulin. This decreased insulin sensitivity also impacts (negatively) our bone density as the body reabsorbs bone minerals because of the shift in Insulin Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1). With the decreased insulin sensitivity our metabolism changes and we're no longer able to rely as much on carbohydrates. Our bodies then shift into increased muscle catabolism (break down of muscle tissue). All of these hormonal shifts can be ameliorated by strength training, adequate protein intake, and other important lifestyle choices. âMenopause is ONE point in time which marks 12 months without a period. After that one point in time you are officially in post-menopause. I will explore post-menopause next week. The key takeaways about peri-menopause from a nutrition and training perspective is that you need to lift all the heavy shit and eat more protein!
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