short history of menopause
It can be said that targeted research on women during the menopause is still relatively new.
The term menopause first appeared in medical journals in the 18th century. The mainly male medical profession saw a trend that middle-aged women no longer seemed to have menstrual cycles. However, they did not understand what it was and why it was happening. Because it is a pause in the menstrual cycle, they called it "menopause".
In the early 20th century, Sigmund Freund referred to menopause as a neurosis. They saw only the psychological reaction to the loss of fertility and youth. So still no understanding of hormones and the system of female hormones.
In the 1900s, they began to study sex hormones for the first time, mainly testosterone in men and estrogen in women. Then they were able to isolate and synthesize them. This was the birth of the baby pill and hormone replacement therapy.
In the 1990s, scientific debate began about the effects of hormonal changes, particularly in relation to bone health and the cardiovascular system. As a result, in the 1990s, under Dr. JoAann E. Manson - one of the lead researchers at the Women's Health Initiative (WHI), a large long-term study was set up on the health of postmenopausal women. It originally focused on hormone replacement therapies. In addition, the study also provided valuable data on the importance of physical activity.
The results of the WHI study highlight that strength and resistance exercise counteract some of the effects of hormone decline in postmenopausal women. That these can support muscle and bone health. That strength training has a positive effect in reducing the risk of osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease and obesity.
These developments laid the foundation for further research to gain a better understanding of the menopause and ensure better healthcare for women at this stage of life.
Awareness of menopause and strength training is slowly growing. In the UK, initiatives and groups are promoting exercise in the workplace to counteract bone and muscle loss. In the US, organizations and scientists are increasingly promoting strength training as an effective, non-hormonal method of promoting health.
Campaigns are also taking place in Europe that emphasize the role of exercise in managing menopausal symptoms and improving quality of life. Countries such as the Netherlands, Sweden and Germany are increasingly integrating menopause issues into public health policy. Nevertheless, there are major differences in implementation and acceptance.
Despite progress, information and services are often not sufficiently visible.
Many women are unaware of how much strength training can help them manage symptoms such as hot flushes, sleep disorders or mood swings.
Menopause-related topics are often still associated with shame.
There is a gap in knowledge transfer, both among women and among doctors and trainers.
There is still a lot to do, lOve Diana
links:
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/science/womens-health-initiative-whi