Serum Sclerostin Increases After Acute Physical Activity

Abstract

Physical activity has a major impact on bone density and on osteoporosis prevention. Sclerostin is produced by osteocytes and inhibits bone formation. The impact of exercise on sclerostin secretion has not been studied so far. This pilot study aimed to explore circulating sclerostin levels immediately after acute exercise. Healthy young women practicing physical activity less than 120 min per week were enrolled. The exercise was a 45-min, low-speed, treadmill running test. Blood samples were taken at rest before exercise and within 5 min after the end of exercise. We assessed serum creatinine, 25-OH vitamin D, alkaline phosphatase, C-telopeptide of type I collagen, bone-specific alkaline phosphatase, and sclerostin. Sclerostin stability at rest was also validated over the same period of time among women fulfilling the same inclusion criteria. The study included 23 participants (mean ± SD age: 22.9 ± 1.5 years) for the exercise test and 9 participants for the resting test (26.1 ± 3.1 years). There was no difference in body mass index between the two groups. Sclerostin increased after exercise in comparison to baseline (mean ± SEM: 410 ± 27 vs. 290 ± 19 pg/mL; p < 0.001) corresponding to an increase of +44.3 ±5.5%. In the resting test, sclerostin remained stable (303 ± 20 vs. 294 ± 20 pg/mL, p = 0.76). There was a substantial increase in serum sclerostin in untrained healthy young women immediately after physical activity. These results suggest the existence of an acute release of systemic sclerostin in response to physical activity.

Response of Sclerostin and Bone Turnover Markers to High Intensity Interval Exercise in Young Women: Does Impact Matter?

“…This is the first study comparing the response of sclerostin and bone turnover markers to high intensity impact exercise (running) versus high intensity no-impact exercise (cycling) in the same group of participants, using a crossover design. We provided evidence that, consistent with previous studies in humans [ 12 , 14 ], sclerostin increases 5 min after exercise, and this increase is similar between both modes of exercise, suggesting that impact (or no-impact) does not mediate sclerostin's response to exercise. In contrast, the PINP and CTXI response following this type of high intensity interval exercise did not appear to correspond to the sclerostin response.…”

“…In particular, we have shown that plyometric exercise leads to an immediate increase in serum sclerostin levels in men [ 12 ], but not in prepubertal boys and girls [ 13 ]. Likewise, sclerostin appears to increase within 5 min following low intensity running in young women [ 14 ], as well as following a high intensity, long-duration (3-week) stage race in male cyclists [ 15 ]. Thus, sclerostin's response to exercise is not yet clear and may be related to mode, duration and intensity of exercise.…”

Irisin Mediates Effects on Bone and Fat via αV Integrin Receptors

“…Importantly, results from endurance exercise trials, particularly in the elderly, are even less convincing, with some studies showing preservation of bone mass and others showing no effect or even bone loss (Braam et al, 2003; Duckham et al, 2013; Scofield and Hecht, 2012). Consistent with the latter effect, brief bouts of endurance training have been shown to increase bone resorption and stimulate sclerostin, an endogenous inhibitor of bone formation (Baron and Kneissel, 2013; Kohrt et al, 2018; Pickering et al, 2017). Sclerostin is produced almost exclusively by osteocytes, the ‘command and control’ cells of the bone remodeling unit (Bonewald, 2011; van Bezooijen et al, 2004).…”

Impact of long‐lasting spontaneous physical activity on bone morphogenetic protein 4 in the heart and tibia in murine model of heart failure

“…Higher serum sclerostin concentrations have been found in patients with prevalent cardiovascular disease and were independently associated with cardiovascular mortality (Novo‐Rodríguez et al, 2018). When considering the impact of exercise on the sclerostin level, it has been demonstrated that a single bout of exercise leads to acute increase in blood sclerostin levels (Kouvelioti et al, 2019; Pickering et al, 2017) but several weeks of interval training (Janik, Stuss, Michalska‐Kasiczak, Jegier, & Sewerynek, 2018) decrease blood sclerostin level, which suggests positive, antiosteoporotic effects of a long‐term exercise. However, the impact of regular physical activity on the sclerostin concentration in heart failure condition still remains unknown.…”