Philip Pape 0:00

Hello Wits and Weights family and happy Saturday. I'm gonna make this a short one. You are about to hear a replay of my other podcast, nutrition Science Daily. This is yesterday's episode, so fresh off the recording press, and it's the one about menopause and weighted vests. I think it's an important one for anyone to listen to because you'll hear how I take something that is hyped up, that seems like this game changer. That's something maybe everybody should try and I analyze with skept, with a skeptical lens, like we do on this show, whether it holds up. And that is actually how that podcast works. It's five minutes every day, every weekday, and I highly suggest you follow it, give it a follow and at least give it a shot, if you like.

Philip Pape 0:40

What's in weights? Because it's a little bit different angle and a different type of data set that I pull from. I pull from, like, popular news articles and TikTok trends, and sometimes I call out specific diets just for fun, like carnivore, and you kind of get that evidence base, but also a little bit of a snarky, quirky lens that I like to apply, and this is no exception. Now, also specifically related to weighted vests, the one population I think it could be helpful for is somebody who's older and frail and will not, and has not and will never lift weights, and you might know somebody like that. But maybe they're willing to just put on a vest that has a little bit of weight blocks in there and do their daily activities and they'll walk around and think, okay, this is good, it gives them some load. Maybe they can progress with extra weights. Anyway, it's the kind of thing that I think is interesting and we cover on Nutrition Science Daily. So enjoy this episode today and also give the show a follow. We're really trying to grow, and if all of our Wits and Weights listeners would also follow the show, it would really help us out. Enjoy.

Philip Pape 1:48

Menopause brings changes in bone density, metabolism and muscle mass, but what if something as simple as wearing a weighted vest could help? Some experts suggest it might improve bone strength, balance and even body composition. But is there real science behind it or is it just another wellness trend From Wits and Weights? I'm Philip Pape and this is Nutrition Science Daily, bringing you the latest in nutrition, fat loss and health science, all in under five minutes. Happy Friday as we conclude this week.

Philip Pape 2:11

I wanted to talk about a topic specific to women approaching menopause, where declining estrogen levels increase the risk of osteoporosis. Weight gain, muscle loss all of which can impact health and longevity, and I know there are a lot of fears around this. Two-thirds of my clients are women in the peri-postmenopause age range, so I definitely see the fears and we deal with this on a daily basis. So when I saw recent studies suggesting that wearing a weighted vest could help combat some of these issues, I had to look into it and see what the research says. So first of all, let's talk about the connection between menopause, muscle and bone. Three things happen during menopause First, bone loss accelerates, and that increases the risk of fractures. Second, muscle mass declines, which affects strength, mobility and metabolism. And third, your body composition shifts because of the drop in muscle mass and you have a tendency to store more fat, especially visceral fat around the abdomen. Even if you maintain the same scale weight, you end up having less and less muscle and more and more fat. Now, one of the best ways to counteract this is resistance training, strength training. That is the huge piece we need to mention, first and foremost, because if you don't lift weights, what I'm going to tell you about today may provide a nudge of benefit, but it's only because you're not lifting weights and really you got to be lifting weights. So I'm just going to lead with that.

Philip Pape 3:35

So the question is could wearing a extra weight through a weighted vest provide some of the same benefits? It is interesting to explore because there could be a hybrid approach where you lift weights and you also use extra weight. After all, I recommend rucking to people all the time, which is wearing a weighted bag when you go for a walk. So what does the science say? Well, there's a recent study that looked at the effects of this on post-menopausal women's bone density and muscle strength you know, wearing a weighted vest and they found that weight-bearing activity, even just walking while wearing the vest, increased bone mineral density compared to walking alone. Participants experienced improved balance and lower risk of falls, which is crucial for preventing fractures. And then some improvements in muscle activation were observed, especially in the legs and the core, because of carrying the extra weight. So the logic is simple Extra load equals greater stimulus for bones and muscles. Now a weighted vest adds resistance without lifting or using a machine or going to the gym. So it's kind of a low effort, low barrier way to increase load during everyday activities. So some benefits include increasing bone density by increasing mechanical stress on the bones, like exercise training, enhancing muscle activation while walking, because you're using your muscles with this extra load, you're doing chores, you know standing, whatever you do on a normal in your normal course of living, helping with balance and stability, which reduces fall risk and then increases energy expenditure, burns a few more calories, and then that can help a little bit with your body composition and metabolism.

Philip Pape 5:06

But before you go out and buy a weighted vest, just remember some of the limitations. The first one I already mentioned it is not a replacement for strength training. It can enhance your activity, but lifting weights is far more effective for building and maintaining muscle. However, I am even thinking of recommending this to an older woman in my life who will never, ever lift weights. It is just, it's a generational thing, it's a whatever, and I'm thinking something like this could be a good compromise or trade-off.

Philip Pape 5:34

The second thing is too much weight too soon can cause joint stress. So you want to progress just like you would in the gym anyway. So just start light, you know, a couple pounds, then make five pounds and 10, then 15 and so on. It also is not going to spot reduce fat. Nothing can do that. Fat loss still comes down to energy balance, right? Are you in a calorie deficit and proper nutrition.

Philip Pape 5:54

So if you want to try a weighted vest, here's how I would recommend using it. I would start light, like really light 5% to 10% of your body weight, and then gradually increase as you adapt. Use it during your daily activities, your walking, housework, standing at your desk. You could even incorporate it into strength training. But, honestly, if you're lifting weights, don't worry about trying to do two things at once, and then you can pair it with some nutrition and strength training for the best results and, honestly, you should be doing that anyway. So is a weighted vest worth it?

Philip Pape 6:22

I think for postmenopausal women or anyone looking to support bone health, balance metabolism, it could be a cool tool. Support bone health, balance metabolism it could be a cool tool. It's a nice fun tool. Throw it on throughout the day as you do things. It makes you just a little bit heavier and you're going to burn some more calories and you're going to use your muscles a little bit more. It's not a magic fix, but as part of a resistance-trained, protein-rich strategy, it can maybe be helpful, all right. So if you want to learn more practical strategies for staying strong and lean during any time of life, including menopause. Join the Wits and Weights Facebook group. I'll throw a link in the show notes. In that group we break down science-backed approaches for muscle metabolism and fat loss. No gimmicks, no detoxes, no crazy stuff like that. Join the Wits and Weights Facebook group. Link in the show notes. And that is it for this week. Make sure and hit the follow button so you can get Monday's episode and, until then, have an amazing active weekend. Talk to you then.