Background:​ Menopause is associated with declines in bone density, muscle mass, and adverse symptoms (night sweats, hot flashes, etc.), which can affect a female’s quality of life (QoL). Resistance training may be an effective strategy for improving these outcomes, with high-intensity resistance and impact training (HiRIT) showing particular promise for improving bone mineral density in late post-menopausal females. However, there is limited research on resistance training in peri- and early post-menopausal females, and none examining HiRIT.

Outcomes:​ This thesis aimed to explore the feasibility of a HiRIT protocol in peri- and early post-menopausal females, with secondary outcomes looking at safety, protocol adherence, enjoyment and changes in menopausal symptoms and QoL.

Methods:​ The first study, conducted through an online survey (n=739), set out to determine if women aged 40-65 were interested in resistance training (specifically HiRIT) to improve bone health and reduce menopausal symptoms. The second was a feasibility study of a 9-month, twice-weekly, supervised progressive HiRIT intervention in peri- and early post-menopausal females (n=40) aged 45-60. To determine feasibility, a priori criteria were set, with a threshold of >50% recruitment rate, >80% adherence, and >85% retention rate in order to proceed to a full clinical trial without modification.

Results:​ The survey indicated women were interested in resistance training to improve bone health and reduce menopausal symptoms (86.5% and 87.9% respectively) and were willing to participate in a HiRIT intervention study (71.8%). The 9-month HiRIT intervention was feasible:​ 66% recruitment rate, 82 % adherence, 95% retention, and no serious adverse events. Participants reported high enjoyment and satisfaction with the intervention (mean and SD scores from a 5-point Likert scale:​ 4.7 ± 0.7 and 4.8 ± 0.6, respectively). While no significant changes in menopausal symptoms were observed, QoL improved in the intervention group, specifically in the general health domain, by (median % change (IQR)) 18.5% (0.0 to 33.8%) and health change by 16.7% (0.0 to 62.5%) compared to 6.7% (-23.6 to 10.4%) and 0.0% (0.0 to 0.0%) in the control group, respectively.

Conclusion:​ HiRIT is a feasible, safe, and well-received intervention in peri- and early post-menopausal females. These findings support the feasibility of larger, more robust clinical trials to further investigate its impact on other health outcomes (e.g., muscle and bone).