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High-intensity resistance and impact exercise in menopausal women: a systematic review of intervention reporting
Emanuele Tortoli1, Gennaro Riccio2, Elisa Mattii3
1Department of Medicine and Health Science "Vincenzo Tiberio", University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy. emanuele.tortoli@unimol.it.
Background:
High-intensity resistance and impact training (HiRIT) has emerged as a promising strategy to counteract bone loss and functional decline in peri- and postmenopausal women. However, heterogeneity in intervention design and inadequate reporting limit reproducibility and clinical applicability. The Consensus on Exercise Reporting Template (CERT) provides a standardized framework for evaluating the completeness of exercise intervention reporting. Therefore, this review aimed to assess the reporting quality of HiRIT interventions using the CERT and to describe the key characteristics and training content of the implemented protocols.
Methods:
A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines and registered in PROSPERO. Six electronic databases were searched up to June 2025. Original studies investigating HiRIT interventions in peri- or postmenopausal women were included. Reporting quality was assessed using the 19-item CERT checklist by two independent reviewers.
Results:
Thirty-nine studies involving 3349 women (mean age 57.6 years) met the inclusion criteria. The mean CERT score was 14.3 out of 19, indicating moderate to good reporting quality. Exercise description, supervision, intervention structure, and equipment were consistently reported, whereas motivation strategies, home-based components, and detailed individualization were frequently omitted. Four progression-related CERT items were adequately reported in approximately two-thirds of the studies. Commonly prescribed exercises included the overhead press, squat, leg press, deadlift, and high-impact jumping tasks.
Conclusions:
HiRIT trials in peri- and postmenopausal women generally report core exercise components adequately, but important gaps remain in the reporting of progression, individualization, and behavioral support strategies. Improving the completeness and transparency of exercise reporting through consistent use of frameworks such as the CERT is essential to enhance reproducibility, facilitate clinical implementation, and optimize exercise prescription for bone health in this population.
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