Bern, May 1 (IANS): Swiss scientists have proved that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can improve muscle strength and fibre function in women, says a study.

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) significantly improves muscle function -- down to the muscle fibre level -- in post-menopausal women, said a new study published Wednesday in The Journal of Physiology.

Some studies published over the last decade have led to negative publicity around HRT, a treatment used to relieve symptoms of menopause, resulting in many women being reluctant to use it.

This new study, however, offers a positive outcome from the treatment, reports Science Daily.

Doctor Lars Larsson, from Uppsala University Hospital in Sweden, who led the study, said: "We found that even though individual muscle fibre did not change in size, the muscles of HRT users showed greater strength by generating a higher maximum force compared to non-HRT users."

"It is thought that using HRT, at least in part, reduces modifications of muscle contractile proteins that are linked to ageing," said Larsson.