The exercise group improved muscle strength, lean mass and leg power. Their lumbar spine bone mineral density also improved significantly compared with the waitlist group, although there was no clear between-group benefit at the femoral neck or total hip. These are promising findings, but a larger trial is needed to confirm them, particularly for perimenopausal women considered separately.
STOP-EM is a welcome contribution to research that specifically includes women around the menopause transition. Much of the earlier exercise and bone-health research, including LIFTMOR, studied women who were already postmenopausal.
Reference:
Whitman, P. W., Alexander, C. J., Kaluta, L., McDonough, M. H., Jordan, M. J., Billington, E. O., Burt, L. A., & Gabel, L. (2026). Preventing muscle and bone loss in peri-menopausal and early post-menopausal females with heavy strength and impact training: Results from the STOP-EM randomised waitlisted controlled feasibility trial. Bone Reports, 30, 101931. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
