Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2012 Oct;19(10):1095-103.
doi: 10.1097/gme.0b013e31824f8fb8.

Effects of physical activity on vasomotor symptoms: examination using objective and subjective measures

Steriani Elavsky  1 , Joaquin U Gonzales, David N Proctor, Nancy Williams, Victor W Henderson
Affiliations

Effects of physical activity on vasomotor symptoms: examination using objective and subjective measures

Steriani Elavsky et al. Menopause. 2012 Oct.

Abstract

Objective: Physical activity (PA) is essential for successful aging and for the prevention and management of common chronic diseases. The empirical support for the beneficial effects of PA on vasomotor symptoms has, however, been mixed. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of acute aerobic exercise and daily PA on menopausal vasomotor symptoms.

Methods: Community-dwelling midlife women (N = 121; age range, 40-60 y) not using hormone therapy were recruited for a 15-day daily diary study. Women completed psychological, cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition, and hormonal status screening followed by a 15-day prospective assessment in a "real-life" setting using a personal digital assistant. Participants also completed a 30-minute moderate-intensity aerobic exercise bout on a treadmill between days 5 and 8. Daily PA was assessed objectively through accelerometry, and all symptomatic women (n = 92) completed two 24-hour Biolog sternal skin conductance recordings of hot flashes (HFs)-one at baseline and one immediately after treadmill exercise.

Results: Both total objective (P = 0.054) and total subjective (P < 0.05) HFs decreased after the acute exercise bout. At the between-person level, daily PA was not associated with self-reported HFs. However, at the within-person level, performing more moderate physical activity than usual was associated with more self-reported HFs in women with lower fitness levels.

Conclusions: Moderate aerobic exercise decreases objective and subjective HFs 24 hours after exercise; however, in women with lower fitness levels, more daily moderate PA leads to more self-reported symptoms.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflicts of interest associated with the journal, this submission, and the authors.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Effects of an acute bout of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise on rates of objective and self-reported hot flashes *This figure has been generated for descriptive purposes only. The data are displayed as HF count per valid HF recording hour and represent a general trend of changes from pre to post exercise. This trend has been verified by GEE analysis.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Effects of an acute bout of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise on rates of true positive, false positive, and false negative hot flashes *This figure has been generated for descriptive purposes only. The data are displayed as HF count per valid HF recording hour and represent a general trend of changes from pre to post exercise. This trend has been verified by GEE analysis.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. 2008. ODPHP Publication No. U0036.
    1. Bromberger JT, Matthews KA, Schott LL, et al. Depressive symptoms during the menopausal transition: the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN) J Affect Disord. 2007;103(1–3):267–72. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Bromberger JT, Meyer PM, Kravitz HM, et al. Psychologic distress and natural menopause: a multiethnic community study. Am J Public Health. 2001;91(9):1435–42. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Elavsky S. Physical activity, menopause, and quality of life: the role of affect and self-worth across time. Menopause. 2009;16(2):265–271. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Woods NF, Mitchell ES. Symptom interference with work and relationships during the menopausal transition and early postmenopause: observations from the Seattle Midlife Women’s Health Study. Menopause. 2011;18(6):654–61. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types