Introduction The menopause transition yields significant physiological alterations. The purpose was to characterize lean soft tissue (LST), muscle size (muscle cross-sectional area (mCSA)), muscle quality (echo intensity (EI)), and strength across the menopause transition. A secondary aim was to evaluate whole-body protein turnover in a subsample of women. Methods Seventy-two healthy women were enrolled in this cross-sectional study based on menopause stage (PRE: n = 24; PERI: n = 24; POST: n = 24). Whole-body LST was measured via dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, and muscle characteristics (mCSA and EI) were measured via B-mode ultrasound of the vastus lateralis. Maximal voluntary contractions (N·m) of the knee extensors were evaluated. Physical activity (in minutes per day) was accounted for using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. A subsample of women (n = 27) ingested 2.0 g of 15N-alanine to determine whole-body net protein balance (NB; in grams per kilogram of body mass per day). Results Significant differences were evident in LST (P = 0.022), leg LST (P = 0.05), and EI (P = 0.018) between menopause stages. Bonferroni post-hoc comparisons revealed greater LST in PRE versus PERI (mean difference (MD) ± SE, 3.8 ± 1.5 kg; P = 0.048) and POST (3.9 ± 1.5 lb; P = 0.049). Similarly, EI was significantly higher in PERI PRE (MD, 18.3 ± 7.1 a.u.; P = 0.036). There was no significant difference in mCSA (P = 0.082) or in maximal voluntary contraction (P = 0.167). NB was significantly different across groups (P = 0.026); NB was greater in PRE compared with PERI (MD, 0.39 ± 0.17 g·kg-1; P = 0.090), and from PRE to POST (MD, 0.46 ± 0.17 g·kg-1; P = 0.042). Physical activity was not significantly different across groups but demonstrated a linear increase from PRE to POST. Conclusions The current findings suggest that LST, muscle quality, and protein balance may be negatively influenced by the menopause transition.
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