Women’s capacity to utilise fat as a fuel source is considered to be impaired by the oestrogen deficit that occurs after menopause. The pace at which middle-aged women are able to use fat at rest or during activity is not clearly determined by menopausal status or blood oestrogen levels, according to a study done at the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences of the University of Jyvaskyla. Better glucose tolerance was not associated with higher fat consumption.
Estrogen is thought to be a hormone that encourages fat burning. Elevated oestrogen levels after menopause. Because of the consequent oestrogen deficit, women may be less able to utilise fat for energy, which might result in weight gain and metabolic health issues.
Hormone replacement treatment can raise oestrogen levels (HRT). According to a study from the University of Jyvaskyla, menopause’s impact on fat metabolism is probably negligible in comparison to dietary status or physical fitness. Energy balance served as the main driver when the rate of fat oxidation was assessed at rest following an overnight fast. Fat was consumed more quickly by women whose calorie intake was less than their energy expenditure. Blood fatty acid and ketone levels were also greater, which was a sign of enhanced fat utilisation. Postmenopausal women did not utilise fat any differently from women who were either using hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or were not yet at menopause.
“This was an expected result. Women burn fat also after menopause if their energy intake is less than their expenditure,” says Doctoral Researcher Jari Karppinen.
Using a bicycle, the peak fat utilisation rate was determined. Women with the greatest levels of physical activity and fitness had the highest rates. Women who had had menopause or taken HRT did not vary from postmenopausal women in any way.
“If you want to improve the ability to burn fat during exercise, focus on improving your fitness with endurance training,” Karppinen continues. “In this case, you do not need to worry about menopause that much. Previous research has shown that the ability to burn fat while exercising improves with training even after menopause.”
The study also investigated the relationship between increased fat consumption and improved glucose tolerance. The outcomes were fairly unexpected. During a later glucose tolerance test, blood glucose and insulin levels increased more in the women who burned fat more quickly when at rest. Peak fat consumption during exercise was higher, but this did not imply improved glucose tolerance.
“This finding can be explained by basic physiology,” Karppinen says. “When you use more fat at rest as an energy source, eating carbohydrates may raise your blood glucose levels more. The body is momentarily tuned to use more fat.”
The popular diet right now is the ketogenic diet. Its success in helping people lose weight is promoted by the idea that when someone sticks to the diet, their bodies start to burn more fat from internal sources.
“This is a common misunderstanding,” Karppinen emphasizes. “A high-fat diet indeed raises the total amount of fat used in energy production. However, this is due to increased fat intake and does not mean that you suddenly begin to shed more body fat. When energy intake is less than energy expenditure, the weight drops similarly regardless of diet macronutrient distribution.”
