Effect of exercise combined with phytoestrogens on quality of life in postmenopausal women

ABSTRACTBackground Postmenopausal women seem to favor alternative therapies such as exercise and phytoestrogens as a substitute for potentially harmful hormone replacement therapy. Based on previous research, we hypothesized that phytoestrogens combined with exercise could have a synergic effect on women's health.Objective To verify whether phytoestrogens enhance the response to mixed training regarding menopausal symptoms and quality of life in postmenopausal women.Methods From a pool of women participating in a 6-month randomized, controlled exercise study, 21 received a placebo (mean age 58.3 ± 5.4 years, body mass index 29.8 ± 5.1 kg/m2) and 19 received phytoestrogen supplements (mean age 60.1 ± 3.4 years; body mass index 30.3 ± 4.6 kg/m2). Body weight, fat mass and lean body mass (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) were assessed. Quality of life was estimated by the Short Form-36 (SF-36) and Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10) questionnaires, and menopausal symptoms by the Kupperman index. All measurem...