ESTROGEN REPLACEMENT AND EXERCISE EFFECTS ON VISCERAL FAT IN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN - THE HERITAGE FAMILY STUDY

PURPOSE The purpose of this abstract was to determine if supplemental estrogen and exercise affected visceral fat levels in postmenopausal women. METHODS Forty-eight healthy and previously sedentary postmenopausal women (mean age = 54.3 yrs) who were enrolled in the HERITAGE Family Study underwent 20 weeks of exercise training. Of these 48 women, 18 were currently taking estrogen replacement without progesterone (ER) and the remaining 30 were taking no hormone supplementation. CT scans were used to measure abdominal visceral fat (AVF) as well as total abdominal fat (TAF) and abdominal subcutaneous fat (ASF). Body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratios (WHR) were calculated and body fat percentage (%FAT) was assessed using underwater weighing. RESULTS Results showed AVF to be an average of 31.3 cm2 less in the women receiving ER (p < .05). After adjustment for race, this difference remained but statistical significance was borderline (p = .06), as black women had an average of 33.6 cm2 more AVF at baseline than did whites. Mean values for TAF and ASF were also less in the women receiving ER, but did not achieve statistical significance. No differences were found in BMI or %fat, but mean WHR was 5% smaller in the ER group (p < .05). There were no differences in training responses in any of the body composition variables between those taking and those not taking ER. CONCLUSIONS It was concluded that taking supplemental estrogen was associated with lower values of AVF in postmenopausal women and that body composition and fat distribution responses to endurance exercise training did not differ with respect to ER status.