Hormone replacement therapy could do your muscles a power of good, according to researchers. They found it significantly improves muscle function, right down to the muscle fibre level.
A study which put muscle fibres under the microscope found cells were arranged differently in post-menopausal women taking HRT compared with those who did not.
The difference reduced age-related changes and improved muscle function, the researchers said.
A new study has found HRT significantly improves muscle function
An estimated one million women in the UK are prescribed HRT in their 50s to replace oestrogen lost in the menopause. It can combat symptoms such as hot flushes and mood changes.
HRT is known to slow bone loss and increase bone density, and reverse declining levels of skin collagen, which is responsible for the stretch in skin and muscle.
Previous studies have suggested HRT reduces the drop in muscle mass and strength in post-menopausal women, improving the ability to jump higher and walk faster than those not taking drugs.
The latest study, in Sweden, is the first to explore these effects at cellular and molecular levels to find how the changes are occurring.
Researchers at Uppsala University Hospital observed six pairs of post-menopausal identical twins – of whom only one of each pair was receiving HRT – to rule out genetic differences. They then examined muscle biopsies taken from them, says a report published in The Journal of Physiology.
Women take HRT to combat symptoms such as hot flushes and mood changes
They found HRT had a significant effect on slow-twitch muscle fibres, enabling cells to work more efficiently. Dr Lars Larsson, from Uppsala University Hospital, said negative publicity over the past decade has made many women reluctant to use HRT, but the study shows a positive outcome.
He said: ‘Even though individual muscle fibres did not change in size, the muscles of HRT users showed greater strength by generating a higher maximum force compared to non-HRT users. It is thought that using HRT, at least in part, reduces modifications of muscle contractile proteins that are linked to ageing.
‘HRT is also associated with a more efficient organisation of myonuclei, which are essential components for muscle fibre function.’
Experts last year reappraised HRT risks after claims that users were at higher risk of breast cancer, heart disease and strokes – contrary to previous research suggesting oestrogen protected them from heart problems.
Re-analysis of data from the US Women’s Health Initiative found the extra health risks applied to older patients in their 60s and 70s, who do not normally use HRT but were given it for research purposes. It showed women taking HRT at the start of the menopause for ten years can reduce their risk of heart failure, heart attacks and premature death.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2317407/HRT-boosts-muscles-Women-taking-treatment-menopause-stay-stronger-study-claims.html#ixzz2S40VDXJg
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