Abstract No: 408 Effect of Circuit Training on Muscle Mass and Strength in Perimenopausal Sarcopenic Women: A Systematic Review

Purpose: Sarcopenia, marked by a decline in muscle mass, strength, and physical performance, impacts 3-30% of perimenopausal women. The menopausal transition presents a critical period to introduce strategies that may reduce muscle loss and functional decline, potentially preventing future disability. Circuit training (CT), which combines resistance, flexibility, and aerobic exercises, has shown positive effects on muscle strength, fat mass, and lean body mass in middle-aged and older adults. This systematic review was intended to assess the effectiveness of CT programs in enhancing muscle mass and strength among perimenopausal women with sarcopenia. Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted across PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science, SCOPUS, and CENTRAL, covering the past 10 years (2014–2024) and restricted to English-language studies. Only randomized controlled trials that examine CT’s effects on muscle mass and strength, alone or with other exercises, were included. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration’s tool. Analysis: Studies that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were separately retrieved and assessed by two researchers. Review Manager 5.4 was used to conduct pooled analyses for pre- and post-outcome assessments using fixed-effect and standardized mean differences (SMDs). Results: The review included 11 randomized controlled trials and encompassing a total of 1951 participants aged 45- 60 years. The study duration ranged from 12 to 15 weeks. An analysis of standardized mean differences (SMDs) showed that circuit training exercise combined with resistance exercise significantly increased muscle mass (SMD, 0.95; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.13 to 1.78; p<0.05) and muscle strength (SMD, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.08 to 0.56; p<0.05). Conclusion: Although only limited number of randomized controlled trials was included the evidence suggests that circuit training exercise combined with resistance exercise is effective in enhancing muscle mass and strength perimenopausal women with sarcopenia.