Weight Training Prevents Osteoporosis

 

Ladies, there's another reason you should be doing resistance training--it helps to prevent osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is a condition in which bone mass decreases and the bones become more brittle. Post-menopausal women in particular are susceptible to this problem. The best way to prevent this is to start weight training when you are young. But even elderly women seem to benefit from resistance training.

Think about this:

Astronauts tend to loose bone density when they spend time in zero-gravity conditions.  The lack of force (gravity) on the bones causes them to waste away.

Obese women tend to have higher bone density than women of normal weight.  It would seem the extra weight keeps the bones from degenerating (the problem, of course, is all of the other health problems that come along with obesity).   

Here are a few quotes I found from just a few minutes of online research:

In conclusion it can be seen from the numerous studies on resistance training and BMD (bone mineral density), that resistance training, if done appropriately, does seem to have an important role in the treatment of osteoporosis. It would appear, that for resistance training to have the greatest effect that it should be started at an early age and carried on throughout life.

Curtin School of Physiotherapy

A simple program that combines strength training and calcium supplements can significantly increase bone-mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women, even those who do not take hormone replacement therapy (HRT). University of Arizona researchers reported these conclusions from 4-year follow-up data from the Bone Estrogen Strength Training (BEST) study at the 2004 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) meeting.

From MedscapeCME

One of the best methods to maintain current bone mineral density is through physical activity. Activity increases the physical stresses on bone. These stresses help activate the osteoblasts and favor bone deposition (Robergs & Roberts, 1997). Resistance training is one such physical activity that is increasingly being advocated as a means of retaining and even possibly increasing bone mineral density.

Len Kravitz, PhD, University of New Mexico

Women on hormone replacement therapy can benefit from home-based resistance training to help improve low-bone mineral density, according to the results of a study published March 8 in the journal Osteoporosis International.

From University of Connecticut Health Center

So there you have it, ladies--another reason to go to the gym.

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