Female hormones: do they influence muscle and tendon protein metabolism?
Due to increased longevity, women can expect to live more than one-third of their lives in a post-menopausal state, which is characterised by low circulating levels of oestrogen and progesterone. The aim of this review is to provide insights into current knowledge of the effect of female hormones (or lack of female hormones) on skeletal muscle protein turnover at rest and in response to exercise. This review is primarily based on data from human trials. Many elderly post-menopausal women experience physical disabilities and loss of independence related to sarcopenia, which reduces life quality and is associated with substantial financial costs. Resistance training and dietary optimisation can counteract or at least decelerate the degenerative ageing process, but lack of oestrogen in post-menopausal women may reduce their sensitivity to these anabolic stimuli and accelerate muscle loss. Tendons and ligaments are also affected by sex hormones, but the effect seems to differ between endogenous and exogenous female hormones. Furthermore, the effect seems to depend on the age, and as a result influence the biomechanical properties of the ligaments and tendons differentially. Based on the present knowledge oestrogen seems to play a significant role with regard to skeletal muscle protein turnover. Therefore, oestrogen/hormonal replacement therapy may counteract the degenerative changes in skeletal muscle. Nevertheless, there is a need for greater insight into the direct and indirect mechanistic effects of female hormones before any evidence-based recommendations regarding type, dose, duration and timing of hormone replacement therapy can be provided.
['Hansen|Mette|M|']
D000368:Aged D000375:Aging D004044:Dietary Proteins D004967:Estrogens D015444:Exercise D005260:Female D006801:Humans D008875:Middle Aged D009124:Muscle Proteins D018482:Muscle, Skeletal D017698:Postmenopause D011374:Progesterone D055070:Resistance Training D013710:Tendons
Oestrogen Sarcopenia Hormone replacement therapy ACL anterior cruciate ligament ER oestrogen receptors ERT oestrogen replacement therapy HRT hormone replacement therapy IGF-I insulin-like growth factor-I OC oral contraceptive Collagen Muscle strength