Role of exercise in estrogen deficiency-induced sarcopenia

A decline in estrogen levels during menopause is associated with the loss of muscle mass and function, and it can accelerate sarcopenia. However, with the growing number of postmenopausal women due to the increase in life expectancy, the effects of estrogen on skeletal mus-cle are not completely understood. This article reviews the relationship between estrogen deficiency and skeletal muscle, its potential mecha-nisms, including those involving mitochondria, and the effects of exer-cise on estrogen deficiency-induced skeletal muscle impairment. In particular, mitochondrial dysfunction induced by estrogen deficiency accelerates sarcopenia via mitochondrial dynamics, mitophagy, and mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis. It is well known that exercise train-ing is essential for health, including for the improvement of sarcopenia.