Prevention of Obesity in Women Via Estradiol Regulation

Inclusion Criteria: * Healthy premenopausal women, aged 18 to 49 years * Regular menses (no missed cycles in previous year; cycle length 25-35 days) * Positive luteinizing hormone test or a mid-luteal serum progesterone greater than 3 ng/mL * Nonsmokers * Willing to receive all study interventions * Physically able and willing to be randomized to participate in a supervised resistance exercise training program Exclusion Criteria: * Already performing high-intensity resistance exercise training more than 1 day per week * On diabetes medications * Use of hormonal contraception in the past 3 months * On oral or inhaled glucocorticoids * Positive pregnancy test * Intention to become pregnant or start hormonal contraceptive therapy during the period of study * Lactation * Hypersensitivity to extrinsic peptide hormones, mannitol, Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), leuprolide acetate, benzyl alcohol (the vehicle for injection of leuprolide acetate), or transdermal patch * Score greater than 16 on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale and Beck Depression Inventory-II score greater than 18, or clinician recommendation to exclude * Severe osteopenia or osteoporosis (proximal femur or lumbar spine t scores \< -2.0) * BMI greater than 40 kg/m2, weight change of more than ± 2 kg in last 6 months, or weight-reduced by more than 5 kg from maximal body weight * Abnormal vaginal bleeding * History of breast cancer or other estrogen-dependent neoplasms * History of venou…