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ASSIGNMENT #2

Assignment #2:
Resistance Training in Postmenopausal Women
Jessica Jambrich (200298525)
Georgian College FITN2009
Professor: Cassandra Welsh
Date: Tuesday, December 8th 2015

ASSIGNMENT #2

1) Explain why the article you read is an important research aspect to study. In other words,
why/how is the purpose of the study important/relevant to the public today? (2 marks)
-Metabolic syndrome is the leading cause of disease, illness and even death this study is
important because it depicts whether or not resistance training has post positive effects in
menopausal woman. Postmenopausal women experience severe reductions in strength and
muscle mass which is also known as Sarcopenia. Because of this occurrence women have a
greater risk to experiencing metabolic syndrome, we all know that prevention is key this is not
just important in the public today but is also important to myself because one day I will also have
to undergo this bodily change. More importantly studies such as this one is also important to read
and further my knowledge because of future clients whether that be a potential women who is
either pre or postmenopausal phase or even with male clients because everyone knows a female
in their life that could be a friend, family or spouse.
2) Highlight an important fact regarding something you learned that you didnt know
previously from reading this article? (2 marks)
-I understood a bit about menopause and the negative effects with hormones but I actually didnt
realize that women experience severe reductions in strength and muscle mass which would cause
more prevalence to developing metabolic syndrome and then onto developing cardiovascular
disease and even premature death. Furthermore loss of bone density can be linked to sedentary
post-menopausal woman because we need weight bearing exercises in order to build and
maintain bone density.
3) List 3 outcomes from the study (i.e. things measured/assessed) that you think yield the most
valuable information regarding the objectives of the study. Briefly describe HOW and
WHY each particular outcome youve chosen is valuable/important with regards to overall

ASSIGNMENT #2

health/fitness. *hint: your explanation as to why things are important might tie into things we
discussed in the 1st half of the semester* (6 marks)
-In the study woman experienced an increase in HDL Cholesterol and even although they did not
see much change in triglycerides having an increase in HDL it is more important for health
because HDL is believed to carry cholesterol out of the blood and back to the liver and also
protects against LDL oxidization.
-Lowered blood glucose was also shown in the study which is important to health and fitness
because it shows that insulin regulation is working properly which will shuttle glucose into cells
like for instance skeletal muscle. This is probably due to increase in muscle mass the more
muscle you have the more energy expenditure will increase which in hand will lower blood
glucose to healthy normal levels.
-Lastly I found important was the increase in muscle mass, strength and a decrease in body fat
%. Increases in muscle mass and strength with a decrease in body fat % drastically helped to
reduce metabolic syndrome. Increase in muscle mass is great for energy expenditure and in hand
will help blood glucose levels then with the noticeably levels of strength increase in both the
lower and upper body is perfect for everyday activities and helps to build and maintain bone
density making them stronger and less brittle which is important as we age because of bone loss
and accidental falls can cause breaks or fractures in the bones and when this happens at an older
age this can be detrimental because recovery time is extremely crucial for quality of life. Overall
body fat % did decrease in both lower and upper body which is important because too much fat
in the body can have a huge impact on metabolic rates. Too much fat can start to have negative
effects and can become metabolically active releasing bad hormones and toxic waste that the
body cannot get rid of itself then it is just a continues vicious cycle.

ASSIGNMENT #2

4) List 2 aspects of the study you would critique as being weak. Explain each by giving detail
as to why you think these areas of the study design/methods/discussion are lacking. (4
marks)
-In the study they did consist of multi-joint exercises to target primary muscle groups that would
also engage secondary and stabilizing muscles, the part that I did not like though was that they
only used basic abdominal crunch protocols and when I read that it just makes me think of the
rectus abdominis and just executing basic crunches/sit ups which is not optimal for all of your
core muscles because it consists of four muscles rectus abdominis, internal/external obliques
and transverse abdominis.
-The second thing that I noticed that the participants did not have any diet guidelines but were
instructed to maintain their normal diet habits and also their normal daily activities throughout
the study period. This stood out to me because even though the study was done to see if
resistance training showed improvements in postmenopausal women I am wondering if they
would have better results if they had adequate protein intake. Without the recommended daily
protein intake allowance for your specific body mass index this could slow progression and falter
results in hypertrophy in the muscles, strength and help to further decrease body fat %.
5) Regarding question #4 what do you think should have been done differently in order to
improve the findings/overall effect of the study? Explain why you think this would improve
the study and/or give further understanding into what was researched. (4 marks)
-Instead of just having basic abdominal crunch protocols they could also incorporate exercises
that will include more core muscles for instance incorporating more planks, back extension and
anti-rotation core exercises this will help to direct all muscles which could possibly help reduce
waist circumference, body fat % and to increase strength because without a sturdy strong core
strength is not obtainable. Especially with just noticeable results in hypertrophy in rectus
abdominis this can exhibit negative results because even though there is an increase in muscle

ASSIGNMENT #2

because of the hypertrophy the waist could measures out to have grown instead of shrinking
which is why incorporating the other muscle groups is so important for overall results.
-In the study they even talked about for future studies to incorporate dietary guidelines to see if
results would improve or stay the same which made me happy that they talked and expressed the
importance of a well-balanced diet. The study did not want to have many variables and just
wanted to focus on resistance training but I have an issue with what are the participants
consuming in a day? What is their macro daily intake and are they receiving enough amino acids
to assist in the building of muscle and strength. Lets say someone intakes their recommended
daily calories but their intake of protein is low but carbohydrates and fats are extremely high this
will have negative side effects which is why we have normal dietary guidelines for age and
gender. I would love to see a study where they incorporate a realistic dietary guideline that is
easily maintained with resistance training then to further that research conduct one with
resistance, aerobic and dietary guidelines in postmenopausal women.
6) What are 2 implications that can be concluded from this study? (what take-home messages
did you draw from this article that would be points to educate family/friends/the public
about?). (2 marks)
-As I mentioned before this study definitely hits home for me and I find it very important
because I will experience this in my life time and the better understanding, knowledge and
education I have on the matter the better I am equipped to think rational about the issue and take
the necessary steps to preventing sarcopenia. I also enjoyed reading this article because my
Mother has just undergone menopause and she is now in the post-phase and as I mentioned in
class her bone density actually went into -1 which is not bad because she is sedentary and I
discussed with her the importance of resistance training and her results opened her eyes and now
she is listening to me and taking the necessary steps to maintaining overall physical health.

ASSIGNMENT #2

Studies like this can help me back up my knowledge in anatomy and the mechanics of the human
body to further educate myself, family, friends and future potential clients of all ages. Prevention
is key and even if a stress on the body has significant improvements to reducing metabolic
syndrome and other known diseases imagine what can be done when paired with aerobic training
and proper diet.

Total = 20 marks

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