Impact of type 2 diabetes on aerobic capacity in postmenopausal women
an integrative review
Keywords:
Menopause, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Exercise TestAbstract
Objective: To understand the factors involved in cardiorespiratory function and functional capacity in postmenopausal women with DM2 during exercise testing, using data obtained from recent literature. Methods: Articles published between 2014 and 2024 were selected from PubMed, Web of Science, and SCOPUS databases using the terms “menopause” AND “type 2 diabetes” AND “treadmill.” After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, eight articles were identified, but only two specifically addressed the proposed topic. Results: One of the studies showed that women with DM2, both pre- and post-menopausal, had lower VO₂ max, VO₂ kinetics, and peak power, as well as greater adaptation of cardiac output during submaximal exercise, suggesting that the decrease in VO₂ is not due to CD. Menopause did not alter the results, possibly due to age (<60 years) and high BMI, which may maintain estrogen production. The other study, with women without DM2 but with or without a family history of the disease, found no differences in metabolism during or after exercise. Conclusion: T2D reduces maximum oxygen consumption in pre- and postmenopausal women. Menopause alone did not show a significant effect, possibly due to adiposity, which may have mitigated its negative impacts.
References
Jensen E V., Jacobson HI, Walf AA, Frye CA. Estrogen action: A historic perspective on the implications of considering alternative approaches. Physiol Behav [Internet]. 2010 Feb 9 [cited 2025 Aug 8];99(2):151–62.
Mercuro G, Saiu F, Deidda M, Mercuro S, Vitale C, Rosano GMC. Impairment of physical exercise capacity in healthy postmenopausal women. Am Heart J [Internet]. 2006 Apr [cited 2025 Aug 13];151(4):923–7.
Alencar AKN de, Wang H, Oliveira GMM de, Sun X, Zapata-Sudo G, Groban L. Relações entre a Redução de Estrogênio, Obesidade e Insuficiência Cardíaca com Fração de Ejeção Preservada. Arq Bras Cardiol [Internet]. 2021 Dec 1 [cited 2025 Aug 13];117(6):1191–201.
Cooke PS, Naaz A. Role of estrogens in adipocyte development and function. Exp Biol Med. 2004;229(11):1127–35.
Regensteiner JG, Bauer TA, Reusch JEB, Brandenburg SL, Sippel JM, Vogelsong AM, et al. Abnormal oxygen uptake kinetic responses in women with type II diabetes mellitus. J Appl Physiol. 1998;85(1):310–7.
Estacio RO, Regensteiner JG, Wolfel EE, Jeffers B, Dickenson M, Schrier RW. The association between diabetic complications and exercise capacity in NIDDM patients. Diabetes Care [Internet]. 1998 [cited 2025 Aug 13];21(2):291–5.
Kiely C, Rocha J, O’Connor E, O’Shea D, Green S, Egaña M. Influence of menopause and type 2 diabetes on pulmonary oxygen uptake kinetics and peak exercise performance during cycling. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2015;309(8):R875–83.
Lagacé JC, Paquin J, Tremblay R, St-Martin P, Tessier D, Plourde M, et al. The Influence of Family History of Type 2 Diabetes on Metabolism during Submaximal Aerobic Exercise and in the Recovery Period in Postmenopausal Women. Nutrients. 2022 Nov 1;14(21).
Regensteiner JG, Bauer TA, Reusch JEB, Quaife RA, Chen MY, Smith SC, et al. Cardiac dysfunction during exercise in uncomplicated type 2 diabetes. Med Sci Sports Exerc [Internet]. 2009 May [cited 2025 Aug 13];41(5):977–84.
Regensteiner JG, Sippel J, McFarling ET, Wolfel EE, Hiatt WR. Effects of non-insulin-dependent diabetes on oxygen consumption during treadmill exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1995;27(5):661–7.
MacAnaney O, Reilly H, O’Shea D, Egaña M, Green S. Effect of type 2 diabetes on the dynamic response characteristics of leg vascular conductance during exercise. Diab Vasc Dis Res. 2011 Jan;8(1):12–21.
O’Connor E, Kiely C, O’Shea D, Green S, Egaña M. Similar level of impairment in exercise performance and oxygen uptake kinetics in middle-aged men and women with type 2 diabetes. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol [Internet]. 2012 Jul 1 [cited 2025 Aug 13];303(1).
Bauer TA, Reusch JEB, Levi M, Regensteiner JG. Skeletal muscle deoxygenation after the onset of moderate exercise suggests slowed microvascular blood flow kinetics in type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2007 Nov;30(11):2880–5.
Mercuro G, Saiu F, Deidda M, Mercuro S, Vitale C, Rosano GMC. Effect of hormone therapy on exercise capacity in early postmenopausal women. Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2007 Oct;110(4):780–7.
Wagner R, Thorand B, Osterhoff MA, Müller G, Böhm A, Meisinger C, et al. Family history of diabetes is associated with higher risk for prediabetes: A multicentre analysis from the German Center for Diabetes Research. Diabetologia. 2013 Oct;56(10):2176–80.
Allerton TD, Irving BA, Spielmann G, Primeaux S, Landin D, Nelson A, et al. Metabolic flexibility is impaired in response to acute exercise in the young offspring of mothers with type 2 diabetes. Physiol Rep [Internet]. 2019 Sep 1 [cited 2025 Aug 13];7(17).
Nyholm B, Qu Z, Kaal A, Pedersen SB, Gravholt CH, Andersen JL, et al. Evidence of an increased number of type IIb muscle fibers in insulin- resistant first-degree relatives of patients with NIDDM. Diabetes. 1997;46(11):1822–8.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Revista de Divulgação Científica Sena Aires
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
-
Atribuição — Você deve dar o crédito apropriado, prover um link para a licença e indicar se mudanças foram feitas. Você deve fazê-lo em qualquer circunstância razoável, mas de nenhuma maneira que sugira que o licenciante apoia você ou o seu uso.
- Sem restrições adicionais — Você não pode aplicar termos jurídicos ou medidas de caráter tecnológico que restrinjam legalmente outros de fazerem algo que a licença permita.
