Menopausal transition does not influence skeletal muscle capillary growth in response to cycle training in women.

The influence of the menopausal transition, with a consequent loss of estrogen, on capillary growth in response to exercise training remains unknown. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of a period of intense endurance training on skeletal muscle angiogenesis in late premenopausal and recent postmenopausal women with an age difference of <4 yr. Skeletal muscle biopsies were obtained from the thigh muscle before and after 12 wk of intense aerobic cycle training and analyzed for capillarization, fiber-type distribution, and content of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). At baseline, there was no difference in capillary per fiber ratio (C:F; 1.41 ± 0.22 vs. 1.40 ± 0.30), capillary density (CD; 305 ± 61 vs. 336 ± 52 mm