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Resistance Training Improves Cardiovascular Health in Postmenopausal Women: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Sonia L Rivera-Mejía1, Marí A Rúa-Alonso1, Jessica Rial-Vázquez1
1Performance & Health Group, Physical Education and Sports Department, University of A Coruña, 15179 Oleiros, A Coruña, Spain.
Journal of Applied Physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985)
|July 18, 2026
Summary
Resistance training (RT) significantly improves cardiovascular health in postmenopausal women by lowering heart rate and blood pressure. This exercise type enhances autonomic control and vascular function without causing adverse structural cardiac changes.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Physiology
- Exercise Science
- Gerontology
Background:
- Postmenopausal women face increased cardiovascular risk due to hemodynamic and autonomic alterations.
- Aerobic exercise is known for cardioprotection, but resistance training's (RT) effects on this population are less understood.
- Understanding RT's impact is crucial for managing cardiovascular health in postmenopausal women.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review the effects of resistance training (RT) on cardiovascular and autonomic function in postmenopausal women.
- To evaluate RT's impact on hemodynamic parameters, vascular structure and function, and cardiac structural outcomes.
- To assess changes in cardiovascular autonomic control, including heart rate variability (HRV).
Main Methods:
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized and non-randomized controlled trials (≥4 weeks of RT).
- Searched major databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus) up to February 2026.
- Analyzed primary outcomes: resting heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), mean blood pressure (MBP); secondary outcomes: vascular adaptations, HRV, cardiac structure.
Main Results:
- Meta-analyses revealed statistically significant reductions in HR, SBP, DBP, and MBP following RT.
- Effect sizes were small for HR and DBP, and moderate for SBP and MBP.
- Qualitative synthesis indicated modest improvements in vascular adaptations and HRV, with no adverse cardiac structural changes reported.
Conclusions:
- Resistance training (RT) confers favorable cardiovascular and autonomic adaptations in postmenopausal women.
- RT effectively improves hemodynamic regulation, including blood pressure and heart rate.
- These benefits are achieved without inducing detrimental structural alterations in the heart.
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