Journal
JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSIOLOGY
Volume 107, Issue 1, Pages 25-33Publisher
AMER PHYSIOLOGICAL SOC
DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.91518.2008
Keywords
aging; menopause; sex hormones; muscle strength; muscle power
Categories
Funding
- Academy of Finland
- Finnish Ministry of Education
- Lapland Fund of the Finnish Cultural Foundation
- Research Foundation of Orion Corporation
- Aging, well-being and technology graduate school
- Petter Silfverskiorld foundation
- Centre of Excellence in Complex Disease Genetics
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Ronkainen PH, Kovanen V, Alen M, Pollanen E, Palonen EM, Ankarberg-Lindgren C, Hamalainen E, Turpeinen U, Kujala UM, Puolakka J, Kaprio J, Sipila S. Postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy modifies skeletal muscle composition and function: a study with monozygotic twin pairs. J Appl Physiol 107: 25-33, 2009. First published February 26, 2009; doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.91518.2008.-We investigated whether long-term hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is associated with mobility and lower limb muscle performance and composition in postmenopausal women. Fifteen 54- to 62-yr-old monozygotic female twin pairs discordant for HRT were recruited from the Finnish Twin Cohort. Habitual (HWS) and maximal (MWS) walking speeds over 10 m, thigh muscle composition, lower body muscle power assessed as vertical jumping height, and maximal isometric hand grip and knee extension strengths were measured. Intrapair differences (IPD%) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. The mean duration of HRT use was 6.9 +/- 4.1 yr. MWS was on average 7% (0.9 to 13.1%, P = 0.019) and muscle power 16% (-0.8 to 32.8%, P = 0.023) greater in HRT users than in their cotwins. Thigh muscle cross-sectional area tended to be larger (IPD% = 6%, 95% CI: -0.07 to 12.1%, P = 0.065), relative muscle area greater (IPD% = 8%, CI: 0.8 to 15.0%, P = 0.047), and relative fat area smaller (IPD% = -5%, CI: -11.3 to 1.2%, P = 0.047) in HRT users than in their sisters. There were no significant differences in maximal isometric strengths or HWS between users and nonusers. Subgroup analyses revealed that estrogen-containing therapies (11 pairs) significantly decreased total body and thigh fat content, whereas tibolone (4 pairs) tended to increase muscle cross-sectional area. This study showed that long-term HRT was associated with better mobility, greater muscle power, and favorable body and muscle composition among 54- to 62-yr-old women. The results indicate that HRT is a potential agent in preventing muscle weakness and mobility limitation in older women.
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