While there are many changes that occur with the onset of menopause, one of the primary changes is an increase in visceral adiposity. Excess visceral adiposity can lead to other comorbidities like diabetes or cardiovascular disease. It is unclear if resistance (RT) or aerobic training (AT) is more beneficial in decreasing visceral adiposity in postmenopausal women. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of either RT or AT on body composition measures in postmenopausal women. Postmenopausal women with obesity and prediabetes participating in an ongoing larger study of fat metabolism were recruited for this study. Postmenopausal status was defined as cessation of menses for at least 2 years. Participants (n = 43; age: 61 ± 5.0 years; BMI: 35.0 ± 4.2 kg/m 2 ) were randomly assigned to either the RT (n = 18) or AT (n = 25) group. Participants exercised 3 times per week for 12 weeks, with both groups calorie-matched at 200 kcal per session. All study outcomes were assessed before (Pre) and following (Post) 12 weeks of RT or AT. A DXA scan was completed in a supine position to assess body composition. Changes between conditions were analyzed with repeated-measures ANOVAs. We present data as mean ± SD. For total body weight, the Time x Training interaction (p = 0.29), Time main effect (p = 0.76), or Training main effect (p = 0.89) were all not significant. The total fat mass Time main effect (p = 0.046) indicated that, regardless of group, fat mass decreased from Pre (43.58 ± 8.1 kg) to Post (42.95 ± 8.2 kg), while the Time x Training interaction (p = 0.55) and Training main effect (p = 0.89) were not significant. For percent body fat, the Time main effect (p = 0.020) indicated that regardless of training, percent body fat decreased from Pre (46.4 ± 3.5%) to Post (45.9 ± 3.1%) while the Time x Training interaction (p = 0.10) and Training main effect (p = 0.74) were not significant. The visceral fat mass Time x Training interaction (p = 0.08), Time main effect (p = 0.77), and Training main effect (p = 1.0) were all not significant. The percent visceral body fat Training x Time interaction (p = 0.022) indicated that the RT group increased from 2.6 ± 0.6 to 2.7 ± 0.6% and the AT group decreased from 2.7 ± 0.7% to 2.6 ± 0.7%, while the Time main effect (p = 0.67) and the Training main effect (p = 1.0) were not significant. The visceral fat volume (cm3) Time x Training interaction (p = 0.08), Time main effect (p = 0.77), and Training main effect (p = 1.0) were all not significant. For total trunk fat mass, the Time x Training interaction (p = 0.38), Time main effect (p = 0.18), and Training main effect (p = 0.55) were all not significant. The upper appendage (right arm and left arm) total lean mass Time main effect (p = 0.017) indicated that, regardless of training type, upper appendage lean mass increased from Pre (52.5 ± 7.2 kg) to Post (54.0 ± 7.5 kg), while the Time x Training interaction (p = 0.09) and Training main effect (p = 0.67) were not significant. For lower appendage (right leg and left leg) total lean mass, the Time x Training interaction (p = 0.11), Time main effect (p = 0.78), and Training main effect (p = 0.88) were all not significant. With 12 weeks of training, there were greater changes in measures of whole-body fat compared to visceral fat. Training, regardless of group, resulted in a reduction in whole-body fat mass and percent body fat, as well as an increase in upper appendage lean mass. There was a divergent response in percent visceral fat: with the AT group decreasing slightly and the RT group increasing slightly. Therefore, while postmenopausal women may see similar overall body composition changes with implementing either RT or AT, there may be training modality-dependent changes in visceral fat. This abstract was presented at the American Physiology Summit 2026 and is only available in HTML format. There is no downloadable file or PDF version. The Physiology editorial board was not involved in the peer review process.
Thompson et al. (Fri,) studied this question.