If you’re going through perimenopause, now is the perfect time to not only revamp your workouts but also consider the impact of a plant-based (vegan) diet. Both can help prevent the body changes often associated with menopause—like a slower metabolism and stubborn weight gain.

First things first: It’s never too late (or too early!) to start lifting heavy and adding more intensity to your routine to improve your strength, metabolism, and body composition. And if you pair that with a plant-based diet, you’re giving your body even more tools to thrive during peri-menopause.

We already know from past research that resistance training and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) are key to maintaining muscle mass and a healthy metabolism as you transition through menopause. But new research, published in Menopause, shows that peri-menopause is when the biggest changes to body composition and metabolism happen, so this is the best time to take action.

The Study:  Metabolic effects of menopause: a cross-sectional characterization of body composition and exercise metabolism

This study looked at 72 women, ages 35 to 60, split into three groups: premenopausal, peri-menopausal, and postmenopausal. The women weren’t competitive athletes but were generally active, with peri-menopausal women doing about 5 hours of moderate to vigorous exercise per week.

What makes this study unique is that the researchers used newer technology to measure fat, muscle, bone, and water. They also looked at how these women used fat and carbs during exercise and tracked their body composition, hormone levels, and menopausal symptoms.

The findings? Peri-menopause is the most critical time for your metabolism. Women in peri-menopause had the highest amount of body fat and the least muscle compared to both premenopausal and postmenopausal women. On average, peri-menopausal women had 16% more belly fat than premenopausal women and about 5% more than postmenopausal women. This highlights the importance of addressing these changes with targeted training and nutrition strategies.

Why Veganism Matters

Here’s where a plant-based diet can be a game changer. Studies show that a vegan diet, rich in phytoestrogens from foods like soy, flaxseeds, and whole grains, can help balance hormones and reduce the severity of peri-menopausal symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, and mood swings. A Journal of Nutrition study even found that women who followed a vegan diet had lower body fat and better hormone balance than those on an omnivorous diet, thanks to the higher fibre and nutrient content in plant-based foods.

In fact, the peri-menopausal women in this Menopause study ate the least amount of protein—just 64 grams a day on average—compared to premenopausal and postmenopausal women. For vegan women, it’s crucial to make sure you’re getting enough high-quality plant-based protein sources like tofu, tempeh, lentils, and quinoa to support muscle maintenance. Active women should aim for 0.8-1.2 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day, which comes out to about 30 grams per meal. This will help preserve lean muscle mass as hormone levels fluctuate.

The Importance of Lifting Heavy

The study also found that the women didn’t do much weightlifting, averaging just one session a week. The peri-menopausal group lifted the least often. I tell all my clients in peri-menopause: Get off the cardio machines & start lifting heavy weights! As estrogen levels drop, your body’s ability to maintain muscle takes a hit. Muscle biopsies in women show that during menopause, muscle regeneration can drop significantly, which leads to fat gain and muscle loss.

Lifting weights, especially heavy ones, helps maintain that muscle and keeps your metabolism humming. Aim for three days of resistance training a week. If you’re an endurance athlete, two days a week during your season is fine, but lifting is key to staying strong.

Boost Your Metabolism with HIIT

Another interesting finding of this study is that during an exercise test of increasing intensity premenopausal women were able to switch between burning carbohydrate and fat relatively easily in moderate intensity, with an increase in carbohydrate use in the higher intensities. 

The study also revealed that peri-menopausal and postmenopausal women had a harder time switching between burning carbs and fat during exercise, meaning their metabolic flexibility (the ability to burn different fuels) was lower. This highlights the importance of high-intensity interval training (HIIT), which can improve your body’s ability to burn fat, preserve muscle, and help you keep your metabolism flexible and efficient.

For the majority of my clients we optimize metabolic conditioning (a type of "circuit" training), sprints, & HITT rather than Low Intensity Steady State Cardio.  An example may be:  Sprint intervals of 10-30 seconds all out effort with the same amount of time "rest" (1:1, meaning 10 second sprint 10 seconds off).  The one exception I would make is a client who comes to me with adrenal burnout or very high cortisol.  While we work on lowering their cortisol levels we will leverage more low intensity cardio while working towards the goal of incorporating HITT & "MetCons".  Another example of someone that should not do HITT is a client recovering from injuries.

Take Action Now

The peri-menopausal years are a great time to dial in both your training and your nutrition. It’s never too late to start lifting heavy and doing HIIT, but if you start now, you’ll have the biggest impact on your metabolism and body composition as you reach menopause and beyond. And if you’re following a vegan diet, you’re already giving your body an advantage with hormone-balancing foods and nutrient-rich meals.

By combining the power of resistance training with a plant-based diet rich in protein and phytoestrogens, you can make these years your strongest, healthiest yet.

For more information on how we can work together on this next leg of your journey please see: 

https://www.strongerfunctionalfitness.com/

Ashley

strong.ER Functional Fitness

Plant-Based (Vegan) Functional Fitness & Hormone Health Coach | Helping Women Over 35 Build Strength, Balance Hormones, and Thrive | Vegan Nutrition Expert