[Effects of a combined weight-bearing and non-weight-bearing ( warm water) exercise program on bone mass and quality in postmenopausal women with low bone-mineral density].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effects of a combined weight- and non weight-bearing (water) exercise program on bone mass and quality in postmenopausal women with low bone mineral density.


METHODS
125 post-menopausal women with osteopenia/osteoporosis underwent a bone mass (Dual-Energy X-ray Absorbimetry, DEXA) and bone tissue quality (phalangeal osteosonography) evaluation. 58 of the participants took part in an 11-month specific exercise program (E). The other represented a control group (C) that did not exercise. At the end of the exercise program all the participants were re-evaluated.


RESULTS
Concerning bone mass, within and between groups data analysis showed that t-score, measured at neck of femur, significantly increased in E (p < 0.05). No differences were instead detected for all the other parameters. With respect to osteosonography, group C showed a significant decrease of all bone quality parameters (p < 0.05), whereas E showed no differences after the exercise program.


CONCLUSIONS
The results showed that a specific exercise program targeting osteoporosis is useful to reduce the physiological bone loss and to maintain a good bone quality in a group of postmenopausal women with low bone mineral density.
Tolomio
S
S
U.O.C. di Medicina dello Sport, Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Chirurgiche, Università di Padova, Via Gattamelata 64, Padua, Italy. silvia.tolomio@unipd.it
Lalli
A
A
Travain
G
G
Zaccaria
M
M
D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000368:Aged; D001452:Balneology; D015519:Bone Density; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005272:Femur Neck / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005385:Fingers / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D052580:Muscle Stretching Exercises; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D055070:Resistance Training; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014463:Ultrasonography