This study highlights the significant role of circulating sex hormones in the aging process of female skeletal muscles. Prior research has primarily focused on distinct age groups, often comparing only young versus old, or pre-menopausal versus post-menopausal women, thereby neglecting the transitional phase from high to low oestrogen levels. This research aimed to explore both cross-sectional and longitudinal relations between sex hormones and muscle mass and function using data from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging.
In the analysis, multiple and binomial linear regression methods were applied to a sample of healthy women aged 24 to 89 years. The study assessed hormones such as oestradiol (E2), free oestradiol index (FEI), total and bioavailable testosterone (TT and BioT), and their influence on skeletal muscle mass and other related parameters. Key findings from the cross-sectional analysis revealed positive associations between E2 and FEI with relative appendicular lean mass and thigh muscle percentage, while they negatively correlated with total body fat percentage. Conversely, BioT showed a positive link with absolute appendicular lean mass and total body fat, whereas TT did not.
In terms of longitudinal data, results demonstrated that declines in E2 and FEI correlated with decreases in lean muscle mass and handgrip strength over a 4-6 year period. Moreover, reductions in TT and BioT were linked with increased total body fat.
The findings suggest the need for a detailed examination of hormone fluctuations to better understand female muscle aging, highlighting the nuanced role of sex hormones across a broad age continuum.
Source: Critchlow AJ, Alexander SE, Hiam DS, Ferrucci L, Scott D, Lamon S. Associations between female sex hormones and skeletal muscle ageing: The Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle. 2025 Jun;16(3):e13786. doi: 10.1002/jcsm.13786. Use is per CC BY.
