Weight-training effects on bone mineral density in early postmenopausal women

Abstract

We tested the hypothesis that weight training would be an effective modality in maintaining or increasing bone mineral density (BMD) at the lumbar spine, femoral neck, and bone mineral content (BMC) at the distal wrist in early postmenopausal women. A total of 17 women completed a 9 month weight-training program, and 9 women served as a control group. Resistance training occurred three times per week using exercises designed to increase muscular strength. Mean change in lumbar BMD in the weight-trained group (1.6 +/- 1.2%, mean +/- SEM) was significantly different from the change in the control group (-3.6 +/- 1.5%, p less than 0.01) over the 9 month period. No significant weight-training effect was detected at the femoral neck or distal wrist site. We conclude that weight training may be a useful exercise modality for maintaining lumbar BMD in early postmenopausal women.

<b> Factors associated with bone mineral density in women who underwent bariatric surgery </b>

“…This result corroborates the findings of other studies which found no significant differences in lumbar spine (McCARTNEY et al, 1995;STENGEL et al, 2005) and femoral neck BMD (PRUITT et al, 1992;STENGEL et al, 2005), in older women who took part in an exercise program vs. control.…”

“…The highest values of BMD found in individuals who did not undergo the surgical procedure corroborate data from Puzziferri et al (2006), which suggests that obesity may be a protective factor against osteoporosis, possibly being explained by the mechanical stress caused by overloading on bone structure. Thus, Fleischer et al (2008) observed a very strong association (r = 0.90, p < 0.0001) between the decline in BMD of the femoral neck and the extent of weight loss promoted by bariatric surgery.…”

“…On the other hand, some studies suggest that obesity is a protective factor against osteoporosis (BARRERA et al, 2004;PUZZIFERRI et al, 2006), since there is a significant relationship between body weight and bone mineral density (REID, 2002). This increase in bone mass can be explained by a greater effect on bone structures, provided by the increase in body fat observed in obesity (OLMOS et al, 2008 However, weight loss can lead to a decrease in bone mass, which has been observed in other studies (REID, 2002;DIGIORGI et al, 2008;FLEISCHER et al, 2008).…”

Effects of Resistance Training on Bone and Muscle Mass in Older Women: A Review

“…Some authors described increased mineralization, 41,42 others reported attenuated demineralization, 41,43 while still others indicated no effect 44,45 following RT. Nevertheless, RT is still one of the most recurrent types of exercise applied in order to improve bone mass in elderly individuals; especially in preventing bone loss among postmenopausal women.…”

“…It seems that the increased mechanical stress on the bone, provided by RT, is the causal factor of osteogenesis. 41 Furthermore, RT studies suggested that muscle contraction can also increase BMD by stimulating tissue remodeling, 45 bone formation, 60 or even augmentation of bone formation associated with an inhibition of reabsorption. 61 Interestingly, it has been reported that high-frequency mechanical strain (i.e, vibration loading) might also have potential for preventing and treating osteoporosis.…”