Clinical translation of brief, high intensity exercise for bone, muscle and functional outcomes in postmenopausal women with low to very low bone mass: First 12-month findings from The Bone Clinic

Clinical translation of brief, high intensity exercise for bone, muscle and functional outcomes in postmenopausal women with low to very low bone mass: First 12-month findings from The Bone Clinic

Clinical translation of brief, high intensity exercise for bone, muscle and functional outcomes in postmenopausal women with low to very low bone mass: First 12-month findings from The Bone Clinic (#106)

Belinda R Beck ¹ ² , Lisa J Weis ²

Griffith University, QLD, Australia
The Bone Clinic, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

Background:

Under randomised controlled trial conditions, brief, targeted, supervised, high intensity resistance and impact training (HiRIT) has been shown to be safe and to improve bone, muscle and function in postmenopausal women with low to very low bone mass. Whether similar benefits could be achieved through ‘real world’ health service delivery, however, was unknown. The establishment of a translational research clinic, in which HiRIT is offered with systematic longitudinal monitoring, provides the opportunity to examine effectiveness, feasibility and acceptability of the program as a legitimate osteoporosis intervention.

Methods:

Clinic clients undergo comprehensive testing at first and every 12 month visit thereafter for biometrics, whole body (WB), lumbar spine (LS), total hip (TH) and femoral neck (FN) BMD, lean and fat mass (XR-800, Norland), daily calcium, falls, fracture, back extensor strength, kyphosis, and indices of functional performance (tandem walk, timed up-and-go, functional reach, 5-times-sit-to-stand). Twice-weekly supervised HiRIT with balance training is provided. Compliance (attendance and weight lifted) is recorded. Training effect for the first clients to complete 12-month training and testing was examined using within-subjects repeated measures ANCOVA, adjusting for age and compliance.

Results:

We report data for 30 women (64.8±6.4yrs, 160.1±6.1cm, 62.3±13.3kg, LS T-score -1.7±1.5, FN T-score -2.2±0.8). Average training compliance was 68.6±21.5%. Improvement was observed in every measured parameter, and reached significance for WB (P<0.002), LS (P<0.009), and TH BMD (P<0.025), lean mass (P<0.049), tandem walk (P<0.002), back extensor strength (P<0.0001), weight lifted (P<0.0001), kyphosis angle (P<0.008), 12 month falls (P<0.020), and LS T-score (P<0.007). One injury was sustained during a combined total of 6612 weeks training.

Conclusion:

Supervised, targeted HiRIT improves factors of risk for osteoporotic fracture in postmenopausal women with low to very low bone mass in a ‘real world’ clinical setting. Excellent compliance and safety suggest the program is feasible and acceptable for this demographic.

Authors contributing to this presentation.

Beck, B.R

Belinda Beck is a Professor at Griffith University (Gold Coast, QLD) and the Menzies Health Institute Queensland and Director of The Bone Clinic, a translational research facility and clinical practice providing evidence-based exercise for patients with osteoporosis. She graduated from The University of Queensland (BHMS[Ed]) and the University of Oregon (MSc and PhD) and completed a postdoctoral research fellowship in the Stanford University School of Medicine (CA, USA). Her work, primarily related to the effects of mechanical loading on bone, has involved both animal and human models, from basic to clinical research. Her particular focuses have been exercise interventions across the lifespan for the prevention of osteoporotic fracture, and the management of bone stress injuries in athletes and military recruits.

Clinical translation of brief, high intensity exercise for bone, muscle and functional outcomes in postmenopausal women with low to very low bone mass: First 12-month findings from The Bone Clinic (#106)

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Beck, B.R

Weis, L.J

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