Characterization of the physiological profile and cardiovascular response to training in women during the menopausal stage
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v76.118445Keywords:
Body composition, energy expenditure, exercise, heart rate, menopauseAbstract
Introduction: Menopause involves hormonal declines that affect cardiovascular function and body composition, increasing metabolic vulnerability. Physical exercise may modulate these responses; however, the interaction between adiposity and energy expenditure in real-world training settings remains unclear.
Objective: To characterize the physiological profile and cardiovascular response of physically active menopausal women by integrating anthropometry, body composition, heart-rate parameters, and estimated energy expenditure, and to explore associations among these variables.
Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted with 100 physically active women. Body composition was assessed using bioelectrical impedance analysis. Heart rate and session energy expenditure were obtained from consumer wearables during habitual training. Non-parametric comparative and correlational analyses were applied.
Results: Women with higher adiposity presented greater body fat percentage (33.12% vs. 26.04%) and lower estimated caloric expenditure per session (745 vs. 847 kcal). A negative association was observed between body fat percentage and energy expenditure (ρ = −0.36), with no differences in resting heart rate between profiles. BMI showed no meaningful association with actual adiposity.
Discussion: Findings suggest that adiposity relates more closely to training volume and total energy expenditure than to relative intensity. These associations should be interpreted cautiously given the cross-sectional design and the indirect nature of wearable-based estimates.
Conclusions: Body fat percentage appears to provide a more precise description of functional profile than BMI. Lower-adiposity profiles tend to coexist with greater training volume and higher total energy expenditure, while relative intensity remains similar across participants. These results highlight the value of considering body composition and habitual exercise patterns as complementary indicators in the functional assessment of menopausal women, within a prudent and context-aware interpretation.
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