How to Restore Metabolic Flexibility During Menopause

By
Papayya's Team
October 14, 2026

Does your energy crash after lunch? Your cravings hit harder or your waistline keeps changing? Well, we’re here to explain what metabolic flexibility is and why menopause disrupts it in order to understand it and fight against it.

What is metabolic flexibility?

Metabolic flexibility is your body’s ability to switch between carbohydrates and fats, depending on what you need. After a meal, you burn and store glucose. Between meals or during a light workout, you burn fat. When a person is metabolically flexible, they have sustained energy even when energy demands rise.

The most common condition linked to losing that flexibility is insulin resistance. Insulin helps move glucose into cells, but when blood sugar stays high, cells can stop responding to its signal, leaving more glucose circulating in the blood.

Why menopause changes the way you burn fat

Estrogen acts not only as a reproductive hormone but also acts on skeletal muscle, fat and brain’s energy-regulating centers. During the reproductive years, estrogen enhances insulin sensitivity. When it declines, insulin sensitivity drops and creates problems such as insulin resistance, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Muscle becomes also less responsive because losing estrogen reduces mitochondrial function and insulin sensitivity in skeletal muscle. With that, muscle mass also declines and far gets redistributed

One study of more than 1500 Iranian women found metabolic syndrome in nearly 45% of premenopausal women, about 58% of perimenopausal women and over 64% of postmenopausal women.

Why this matters

Dr. Casey Means, a physician and co-founder of Levels, has highlighted that women’s risk of metabolic challenges rises as estrogen declines. Fasting insulin is an inexpensive test that can reveal insulin resistance a decade or more before fasting glucose rises. Research from the University of Victoria found that higher insulin at the age of 47 was linked with longer-lasting hot flashes and cold sweats.

‘Levels’ frames that keeping glucose steadier and improving insulin sensitivity may mitigate some of the undesired effects from perimenopause through postmenopause.

But what’s the evidence?

In a trial of 28 obese postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes, it was showcased that adding resistance training to aerobic training enhanced glucose disposal, which was tied to losing abdominal fat and gaining muscle density.

Another program in postmenopausal women with impaired glucose tolerance improved muscle mass and function without worsening insulin sensitivity.

‘Levels’ states strength training among the main strategies, while noting it can mitigate menopause-related muscle loss.

As we can see, results vary between women. A 12-month trial in sedentary postmenopausal women found no effect of resistance training on insulin sensitivity. Others suggest muscle quality and functionality, along with loss of fat mass. Should be the targets rather than muscle gains alone.

A practical starting point

  • Lift two to three times per week, while focusing on big movements such as squats, hinges, presses and rows.
  • Progress gradually, increase load or repetitions over time so muscle has a reason to adapt.
  • Walk after meals as it helps blunt blood sugar spikes.
  • Support with fibrous food, less refined grain and healthy fats as it helps stabilize glucose.
  • Protect sleep and manage your stress.
  • Track what matters.

Where guided training fits in

There’s a difference between knowing you should do strength training and actually starting to do it consistently, safely and progressively are two different problems.

At Papayya, and with 1-on-1 virtual personal training sessions, form is corrected in real time instead of guessed from a pre-recorded video. The initial assessment looks at posture, gait and fitness level. Plans are adjusted to your goals and limitations, which matters when energy and recovery is changing. Accountability and flexibility are what turn a good intention into consistent effort.

Sources

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