EXERCISE
Women’s Strength Training and Brain Health: How Muscle Signals the Brain During Menopause
Strength training is often thought of purely as a way to build muscle mass and bone density, but modern neuroscience shows that skeletal muscle is also a metabolic organ that communicates directly with the brain. This muscle-brain axis becomes especially important during menopause, when declining estrogen alters the brain’s energy metabolism and its tolerance for cognitive load. The NeuroAudit method examines exercise as one of the central pillars of brain health, and resistance training is an underappreciated but well-studied tool in this context.
This article gathers what peer-reviewed evidence tells us about the effects of strength training on the female central nervous system. We review the role of muscle-derived myokines, the significance of growth factors such as IGF-1 and BDNF, and why the hormonal transition of menopause makes resistance training particularly valuable for women.
Muscle as an Endocrine Organ: The Role of Myokines
When a muscle contracts during strength training, it releases signalling molecules into the bloodstream called myokines. These molecules act as messengers that transmit the effects of muscular work to other organs, including the brain. This finding has reshaped our understanding of exercise: physical activity does not merely burn energy, it triggers a broad biochemical cascade that supports nervous system function.
The effect of myokines on the brain is partly indirect, working through the regulation of metabolism and inflammatory state. Strength training reduces low-grade systemic inflammation, which is itself linked to cognitive decline and brain fog. When muscle tissue is active and well trained, it acts as a buffer against chronic inflammation and creates a more favourable environment for neuronal function.
- Myokines are signalling molecules released by contracting muscle that carry messages to the brain and other organs.
- Strength training reduces low-grade inflammation, a risk factor for cognitive decline.
- Active muscle mass improves whole-body metabolic health, which is reflected in the brain’s energy supply.
IGF-1, BDNF and Support for Neural Growth
The cognitive benefits of strength training are closely tied to growth factors. Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) increases following physical training, crosses the blood-brain barrier and supports neuronal survival and synaptic plasticity. IGF-1 works alongside brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), considered one of the most important regulators of neuroplasticity.
Evidence shows that exercise increases BDNF gene expression, promoting the strengthening of connections between neurons, particularly in the hippocampus, a region central to memory (Sleiman et al. 2016). Although most BDNF research has focused on aerobic exercise, resistance training also engages these same growth-supporting mechanisms and measurably improves cognitive performance.
In a high-quality randomised trial, progressive resistance training significantly improved global cognitive function in older adults with mild memory symptoms (Fiatarone Singh et al. 2014). A 2025 meta-analysis confirms that resistance exercise has a consistent positive effect on cognitive functions across several age groups (meta-analysis 2025).
Why Menopause Makes Strength Training Especially Important
Estrogen is a neuroprotective hormone that regulates the brain’s glucose metabolism and supports cognitive performance. During menopause, the decline in estrogen alters the brain’s energy supply, which can present as brain fog, difficulty concentrating and dips in memory. This biological transition makes other brain-supporting factors, such as exercise, even more important.
Research shows that exercise and chronic stress affect female and male brains in partly different ways, underscoring the need for sex-specific exercise guidance (Frontiers 2024). A review addressing the link between estrogen, menopause and brain ageing emphasises that during the hormonal transition, lifestyle factors such as physical activity are key to maintaining brain health (PMC review 2025).
Strength training supports women in the menopausal years on several levels at once: it maintains muscle mass and metabolism, strengthens bone, improves sleep quality and mood, and directly supports cognitive function. The decline in sex hormones has been identified as an independent risk factor for brain health, which highlights the importance of preventive lifestyle measures (Wiley 2025).
- The estrogen decline during menopause alters the brain’s glucose metabolism and can impair cognition.
- Strength training simultaneously supports muscle, bone, sleep, mood and cognition.
- The decline in sex hormones is an identified independent risk factor for brain health.
Practical Recommendations for Women’s Brain Health
From a brain health perspective, strength training does not need to be extreme or time-consuming to be effective. Progressive, regular training that loads the large muscle groups of the whole body produces the best results for both muscle and nervous system. Consistency and gradually increasing the load over time are what matter most.
In the NeuroAudit method, exercise is assessed as part of a holistic picture of brain health load. Adding strength training to a weekly routine is a concrete, measurable action that supports both cognitive performance and stress tolerance. For women in knowledge work in particular, it offers a counterweight to the strain caused by sedentary work and mental load.
- Favour progressive, whole-body training of large muscle groups two to three times per week.
- Consistency and gradual increases in load matter more than the intensity of any single session.
- Combine strength training with adequate protein intake and recovery to maximise the neural benefits.
