Physical performance in basic functional tests in premenopausal, perimenopausal and post-menopausal women

Understanding the hormonal fluctuations and changes in the musculoskeletal system during menopause is important for health promotion and improving quality of life.

This study aimed to determine the physical ability of sedentary premenopausal, perimenopausal, and post-menopausal women.

Female participants between the ages of 37 and 65 years (n=53) were divided into three groups according to menopausal transition guidelines and underwent anthropometric and physical tests. Descriptive and inferential statistics were computed, including post-hoc pairwise comparisons and ANOVA for significance between the three groups (p<0.05). The Bonferroni correction for multiple tests was applied. Results were expressed as mean and standard deviation.

Statistically significant differences were observed in weight (0.010) and waist circumference (0.0001) among the three groups. For the timed up-and-go test, premenopausal women performed significantly better than both perimenopausal (p=0.027) and postmenopausal women (p=0.0001). The one-minute push-up test showed a significant reduction in upper body strength from premenopause to postmenopause (p=0.002). The one-minute sit-up test showed significant declines between premenopause and postmenopause (p=0.001) and between perimenopause and postmenopause (p=0.030). The single-leg balance showed significant impairments in postmenopausal women compared to premenopausal women (p≤0.008 for both legs), and the sit-to-stand test revealed significant differences between premenopause and postmenopause (p=0.0001) and perimenopause and postmenopause (p=0.025).

Premenopausal women exhibited the highest p-value significance and mean scores in various parameters, followed by the perimenopausal and post-menopausal groups. Physical performance in basic muscle function tests suggests a decline in muscle strength and endurance during the menopausal transition.