OSTEOPOROSIS

By: Heather Pettingill

For many years it has been well documented that weight bearing exercise can increase bone density and help to manage the effects of osteopenia and even osteoporosis. Only recently however, have researchers begun to investigate what type of weight bearing exercise is the best for maintenance of bone density as we age.

The inspiration for my exploration into this matter was one of our clients, Gloria Shoemay, who turns 70 years young this January. As many of our clients can attest to, the type of exercise we have our clients participate in is intense —combining within in one training session-- agility, lower and upper body plyometrics, core training, strength training using both controlled and explosive tempos, as well as anaerobic intervals and flexibility. That Gloria is approaching seventy gives her no excuse from performing this type of training. Though we may have taken a little longer to progress Gloria into “athletic training”, she now can hold her own with even our most elite of clients. What is so exciting about Gloria is not just that she can do all of these exercises but also that she has gone from being classified as being a woman with osteoporosis---to being classified as having the mildest form of osteopenia. In other words she is not just maintaining her bone density, but rather she is reversing the process of bone deterioration. In fact, her doctor has said that if she continues with her current regimen, she will have no trace of even osteopenia within a year.

Many people, including certain health professionals, would likely disagree with having someone over sixty performing some of the higher intensity exercises like agility and plyometrics. However examples like Gloria and new research suggests that for improvements in bone density, higher intensity type training is superior to the typically prescribed and participated in moderate to high volume low intensity protocols.

A four year Osteoporosis study performed in Germany on early postmenopausal women with osteopenia highlighted how intense training—similar to what we do at Performance Institute can be optimal. In this study, the women were separated into three groups; a sedentary or control group, the strength training group, and a power training group. The strength training and power training group participated in the same type of exercise program for majority of the experiment, except in years three to four of the study, the power training group performed their strength training with an explosive tempo while the strength training group used slow controlled tempo in their movements. The authors of this study found that whereas in the control group bone density decreased over the four study period, members of the two exercise groups overall maintained bone mass density at the lumbar spine and femoral neck. Interestingly, relative to year three, the year 4 results demonstrated that the power group was superior to the strength group in total bone mass density in the lumbar spine and hip. This suggests that explosive tempos in strength type movements are also and advantageous addition to training clients with osteopenia.

The authors of the study (Kemmler et al, 2007) felt that the parameters that they integrated into their training regimen that allowed for the best possible effects on bone mass density were as follows:

•  Including a “mix of endurance, jumping, and resistance exercises with high intensity and low training volume”

•  “application of modern training strategies developed for athletic performance”

•  “regular change and adaptation of the training regimen with cycles of intensity training interspersed with lower intensity training”

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Interestingly, at Performance Institute we follow the similar guidelines within our training scheme with our non-athlete clientele. While our client's results speak for themselves, it's always nice to have “science” substantiating our methods.

Do keep in mind that if you are in your “golden years” and are considering incorporating this type of training into your program you must be progressed slowly and appropriately into “athletic-type” training. Seek the assistance of a qualified trainer to do so. The benefits of “athletic type” training are numerous: 1) it's a TON of FUN 2) the confidence and quality of life benefits are fantastic and finally 3) The most recent research suggests with proper guidance, it's the optimal type of training for maintaining maximal bone density.

Kemmler, W., K. Engelke, S. von Stengel, J. Weineck, D. Lauber, and W. Kalender. Long-Term Four-Year Exercise Has a Positive Effect on Menopausal Risk Factors: The Erlanger Fitness Osteoporosis Prevention Study. The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: Vol 21, No.1, pp.232-239