Age-related bone loss in middle-aged men may be reversed by exercise

Certain types of jumping and weight-lifting exercises, when done for at least six months, improve bone density in active, healthy, middle-aged men who have low bone mass, a research group reports in Bone. The exercises may help prevent osteoporosis by facilitating bone growth and could be prescribed to reverse bone loss associated with ageing.
Men and women gradually lose bone mass as they age, which puts them at risk for developing osteoporosis, which makes bones weak and more likely to fracture. The problem is often not picked up in men until a facture occurs, and sometimes even then it isn’t diagnosed.
So experts studied 38 physically active, middle-aged men who completed either a weight-lifting programme or a jumping programme for a year, which involved 60–120 minutes of targeted exercises each week. The men took calcium and vitamin D supplements throughout. The researchers measured the men’s bone mass at the beginning of the study and again at six and 12 months using X-ray scans.
The bone mass of the whole body and lumbar spine increased after six months of completing the weight-lifting or jumping programmes, and this was maintained at 12 months. Hip-bone density only increased in men who completed the weight-lifting programme. Participants reported minimal pain and fatigue, and these ratings decreased over the year.
“Only the bone experiencing the mechanical load is going to get stronger, so we specifically chose exercises that would load the hip and the spine, which is why we had participants do squats, deadlifts, lunges and the overhead press,” explains Dr Pam Hinton, one of the lead researchers. “Also, the intensity of the loading needs to increase over time to build strength. Both of the training programmes gradually increased in intensity, and our participants also had rest weeks. Bones need to rest to continue to maximize the response.
“Individuals don’t typically have to know they have heart disease, high blood pressure or prediabetes to start exercising – they do it as prevention. Similarly, individuals don’t have to know they have osteoporosis to start lifting weights. The interventions we studied are effective, safe and take 60–120 minutes per week to complete, which is feasible for most people. Also, the exercises can be done at home and require minimal exercise equipment, which adds to the ease of implementing and continuing these interventions.”

For further information about osteoporosis, contact The National Osteoporosis Society.

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