Great news for women in menopause: it appears that vigorous
physical exercise can turn back the clock, at least as far as
physical capacity and weight loss ability goes! Findings from
two studies, one published this past July in the Journal of
Applied Physiology, and the other this September, in Metabolism
– Clinical and Experimental, show for the first time that
despite age-related deceases in hormone levels, lean body mass
and aerobic capacity, training can achieve the same health
benefits that women 16 years younger might experience. In both
studies, researchers looked at the effects of cycling (on a
stationary bike) for an hour, five days a week at 65% of maximum
lung capacity in 10 sedentary but otherwise healthy
postmenopausal women. (FYI: The term ‘lung capacity’ refers to
the maximum amount of air that a person’s lungs can hold after
the greatest possible inspiratory effort. When you exhale, the
amount of air left in your lungs is known as ‘residual volume.’
This can be affected by age, aerobic capaci