Elastic Band Resistance Training May Improve Osteoporosis Markers in Older Women With Osteosarcopenic Obesity

For women with osteosarcopenic obesity, 12-weeks of elastic band resistance training was shown to result in a slight but insignificant improvement in markers for osteoporosis, according to study results published in BMC Geriatrics.

Overall, 63 women aged 65 to 80 years with osteosarcopenic obesity met the inclusion criteria and were randomly assigned to either the control (n=31) or the resistance-band-training (n=32) group. Among the control and training groups, 9 and 6 participants, respectively, were lost to follow-up.

Participants in the training group were instructed on how to perform the exercises and were included in supervised training sessions 3 times a week for 12 weeks. After a 4-week adaptation phase, the exercise intensity was progressively increased. Study outcomes included Fracture Risk Assessment Tool score, bone mineral content (BMC), bone mineral density (BMD), vitamin D, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), C-terminal telopeptides of type I collagen (CTX-I), expression of the myotube-derived exosomal microRNAs (myomiRs) miR-206 and miR-133.

There were no significant differences between the groups for any of the outcomes studied – Fracture Risk Assessment tool scores (P =.067), BMC (P =.862), BMD (P =.564), vitamin D (P =.566), ALP (P =.334), CTX-I (P =.067), and expression of miR-133 (P =.093) and miR-206 (P =.723). There were no significant correlations found between miR-206 or miR-133 expression and osteoporosis markers at baseline. However, significant correlations were observed between miR-133 and Fracture Risk Assessment Tool score (P <.001), vitamin D (P =.025), and ALP (P =.012). Significant correlations were also observed between miR-206 and Fracture Risk Assessment Tool score (P <.001), vitamin D (P =.041), and ALP (P =.007).

The study was limited by the ability to analyze only a few expressed myomiRs and osteoporosis markers, the lack of use of genome-wide approaches, and the short duration and intensity of the training protocol.

According to the researchers, “The study findings uncovered the potential contribution of some bone metabolism markers in attenuating bone dysfunction during exercise modality, which could occur through some myomiRs regulating gene networks involved in bone remodeling.”

Reference

Banitalebi E, Ghahfarrokhi MM, Dehghan M. Effect of 12-weeks elastic band resistance training on MyomiRs and osteoporosis markers in elderly women with Osteosarcopenic obesity: a randomized controlled trial. BMC Geriatr. 2021;21(1):433. doi:10.1186/s12877-021-02374-9