Impact of Funcional Exercise and Supplementation in Perimenopausal Women's Health

University of Valencia90 enrolled

Overview

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether a natural-origin nutritional supplement, combined with a functional exercise program, can improve psycho-emotional, cognitive, functional, and neuroendocrine health in perimenopausal women. The study will also help determine the safety of this combined intervention. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does the combined intervention improve mood, sleep quality, menopausal symptoms, and cognitive performance? * Does it enhance physical function and neuroendocrine regulation? Researchers will compare the supplement to a placebo. All participants will follow the same supervised functional exercise program. Participants will: * Take a daily nutritional supplement or placebo for 10 weeks * Attend three weekly supervised functional exercise sessions (45-60 minutes each) * Complete pre- and post-intervention evaluations including questionnaires, physical and cognitive tests, and blood samples for biomarker analysis.

This study is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial with parallel groups, designed to evaluate the effects of a natural-origin nutritional supplement combined with a functional physical exercise program on psycho-emotional, cognitive, functional, and neuroendocrine variables in perimenopausal women. Participants will be randomly assigned to the intervention groups, with both participants and outcome assessors blinded to group allocation (double-blind design). All study groups will receive a functional exercise intervention, in addition to the nutritional supplement or placebo. The study will last a total of 10 weeks and will include a supervised functional exercise program consisting of three weekly sessions, each lasting 45 to 60 minutes. Pre- and post-intervention assessments will be conducted, including validated questionnaires on sleep quality, mood, general well-being, and menopausal symptoms; objective cognitive tests (attention, working memory, and executive functions); physical fitness assessments (strength, agility, gait speed, body composition); and blood analyses of neuroendocrine biomarkers (cortisol, BDNF, IL-6, TNF-α, GABA, and serotonin). This methodological design will allow for both within- and between-group comparisons and the analysis of potential interactions between the interventions, in order to determine their efficacy and safety as non-pharmacological strategies to improve the overall health of perimenopausal women.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

Interventions

Exercise + nutritional supplementDIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Participants in this group will receive an oral daily dose of the natural-origin nutritional supplement in combination with a supervised functional exercise program (3 sessions per week, 45-60 minutes each) for 10 weeks, composed by three exercise blocks: 1) joint mobility and postural control exercises block, 2) functional strength block with three sets of two explosive strength exercises using elastic bands at 70% of 1RM and, 3) coordination and agility exercises block.

Exercise + placebo supplementDIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Participants in this group will receive an oral placebo supplement identical in appearance to the active supplement, together with the same functional exercise program for 10 weeks.

Eligibility

Sex: FEMALEMin age: 45 YearsMax age: 65 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Women aged between 45 and 65 years. * In the menopausal transition (defined by irregular menstrual cycles and typical symptoms within the past year) or postmenopause. * Score ≥ 8 on the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS), indicating moderate menopausal symptom intensity. * Regular nighttime sleep and not engaged in shift work. * Low physical activity level: less than 150 minutes per week of moderate or vigorous physical activity, as assessed by the short-form IPAQ or a similar questionnaire. * Body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 35 kg/m². * Sufficient functional and cognitive capacity to participate in supervised physical exercise and follow the study protocol. * Signed informed consent and availability to attend all scheduled sessions and assessments. Exclusion Criteria: * Current or recent (within the last 3 months) use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT). * Surgical, induced, or early menopause (before age 40). * Current treatment with medications that may affect mood, sleep, or vasomotor symptoms, including: antidepressants (SSRIs, SNRIs, tricyclics); anxiolytics or hypnotics; phytoestrogens, isoflavones, or other over-the-counter hormonal supplements. * Medical diagnosis of severe or uncontrolled chronic diseases, including cardiovascular, respiratory (particularly sleep apnea), metabolic, active oncological, neurological, severe autoimmune, or psychiatric disorders. * Regular use within the past 3 months of nutritional or sports supplements that may interfere with study outcomes (e.g., creatine, protein, omega-3, adaptogens, etc.). * Medical contraindications for moderate-to-vigorous physical exercise, as determined by the PAR-Q+ questionnaire and/or updated medical report. * Simultaneous participation in another clinical trial or intervention program involving drugs, supplements, or structured physical exercise of any kind. * Known allergy or intolerance to any component of the nutritional supplement to be administered.

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Changes in Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF)

Serum BDNF levels will be collected through a blood sample (ELISA KIT) in the morning in a fasted state to assess neuroplasticity and cognition.