Significance of Estrogen Status for Muscle Function, Physical Fitness, and Physiological Health Parameters - a Comparison of Age-matched Groups of Women Before and After Menopause.

NCT07649356 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: E30 HER-MUSCLE cross sectional
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 30
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

As females age and transition through menopause, the decline in oestrogen level profoundly affects skeletal muscle mass and function. HER-MUSCLE aims to unravel the differences in pre and post menopausal women, in regards to muscle size, strength and function. Focusing on postmenopausal females, an increasingly at-risk demographic, HER-MUSCLE addresses a critical gap in understanding how oestrogen influences muscle mass and function. The project involves:

1. 1.Molecular Analysis: Advanced techniques will study the muscle microenvironment, focusing on muscle stem cells (MuSCs), fibro-adipogenic progenitors (FAPs), and other cells critical for muscle regeneration and maintenance.
2. 2.Mitochondrial Function assessed in vivo via magnetic resonance spectroscopy: The impact of oestrogen on mitochondrial health will be examined, exploring how it preserves mitochondrial function and ability to recovery and resist fatigue in response to muscle contractions.

Conditions

Muscle Mass and Strength; Menopause

Keywords

Muslce Mass; Muscle Strength; Menopause; Estrogen; Mitochondria function

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Muscle mass

  Magnetic resonance imaging

  1 week

Secondary Outcomes (19)

• Mitochondria Function in vivo measured as phosphocreatine recovery rate

  1 weeks

• Mitochondria Function in vitro measured as maximal oxygen consumption

  1 weeks

• Body composition

  1 weeks

• Satelitte cells

  1 weeks

• Muscle fiber cross-sectional Area

  1 weeks

Other Outcomes (4)

• Blood analysis

  1 week

• Dairy record registration

  1 week

• Height

  1 week

Study Arms (2)

Post menopausal women

Pre menopausal women

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 47 Years+
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Participants will primarily be recruited from a radius of 50km from Aarhus. Participants recruited will be age matched to participants in the main trial.

You may qualify if:

• Regular menstrual bleeding (21-35 days cycle).
• At least 9 menstrual cycles the last year
• Age \>47 years old
• BMI 20-30

You may not qualify if:

• Only premenopausal women: Follicular stimulating hormone \> 30 mmol/L
• Systematic strength training during the last year (\> 1 strength training session per week)
• Systematic high intensity cardiovascular training during the last year (\<2 times per week)
• Injuries to the legs which may prevent participation in the physical training program
• Magnetizable metals or electrical devices implanted in the body, such as a pacemaker
• Use of medication that can influence the effect of immobilization and/or training
• Muscular or joint disorders which may affect the results
• Metabolic diseases (such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases)
• Previous or present liver or cancer disease
• Current or previous thrombosis
• Porphyria
• Epilepsia
• Systemic autoimmune disease
• Edema
• Smoking or use of other nicotine containing products

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Mette Hansen: lead
• Aalborg University: collaborator
• University of Copenhagen: collaborator
• Aarhus University Hospital: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Aarhus University

Aarhus, 8000, Denmark

RECRUITING

Related Links

• Project homepage

Study Officials

• Mette Hansen, PhD

  Aarhus University, Department of Public Health

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Mette Hansen, PhD

CONTACT

+4551666551; mhan@ph.au.dk

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: OTHER
• Time Perspective: CROSS SECTIONAL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 27, 2026
• First Posted: June 16, 2026
• Study Start: February 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): August 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): August 1, 2027
• Last Updated: June 16, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-06

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

DK (1)