BoneKEy Reports | BoneKEy Watch
Small but significant changes in BMD in men who exercise
DOI:10.1038/bonekey.2013.31
This meta-analysis examined data from randomized controlled trials in men that assessed how exercise (ground and/or joint reaction force) affected bone mineral density (BMD) at the femoral neck and lumbar spine. Of 1055 citations, only three studies met the eligibility criteria: two studies involved the same interventional group and only one study was published in a peer-reviewed journal.
The exercise groups were not directly comparable; the men in all exercise groups had exercised for 3 days a week but the type of exercise varied, as did the length of time and the rate of compliance. The meta-analysis showed a statistically significant benefit in BMD in men who exercised, but the effect at the femoral neck was moderate while the changes at the lumbar spine were small.
Changes in body weight and BMI were assessed as secondary outcomes, with a trend detected for a small, non-significant reduction in body weight in the exercise groups compared to controls. A small significant change in BMI was noted, equivalent to a relative reduction of around 2%.
Editor’s comment: Despite some encouraging results, we still have insufficient evidence to recommend this type of exercise for improving and/or maintaining BMD in men. Although the study included many secondary outcomes (e.g. lean body mass, percentage body fat, muscular power and fracture risk) it is a concern that, due to lack of data, meta-analysis of secondary outcomes had to be limited to body weight and BMI.
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