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Effects of Jumping on Bone Health in Young Women

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Osteoporosis, Osteopenia
Interventions
Other: Jump
Registration Number
NCT03413540
Lead Sponsor
California State University, San Marcos
Brief Summary

This study evaluates the longitudinal, dose-dependent effects of jumping on bone health in young women. The women will be divided into 9 groups of varying jump height and repetitions, with a tenth group serving as control.

Detailed Description

Over 1 million hip and spine fractures each year are associated with osteoporosis, a disease of low bone mass that contributes to increased morbidity, mortality and economic strain on our medical system. Effective low-cost prevention strategies such as bone-loading exercise, could lower the incidence of osteoporotic fractures without an increase in medical costs, and provide an alternative to drug therapy. Activity associated with high magnitude forces such as fast running and jumping, have been shown to increase hip bone mass by 1.2%-4% in premenopausal women which may translate into a 20-30% reduction in hip fracture risk. In addition, high impact exercise may also produce benefits that are maintained long-term. However, a specific exercise prescription for improving bone health has not been determined.

To date, no single study has examined the interactive effects of jump magnitude (height) and jump number (repetitions) on bone mineral density by systematically varying the height and number of jumps performed. In addition, no study has evaluated the effects of loading exercise on multiple measures of bone health, in order to quantify the effects of exercise on bone strength, apart from bone mineral density. Determining the optimal dose of jump exercise for improving bone strength will allow the investigators to determine a specific exercise prescription for bone health in premenopausal women and will be useful in future projects that intend to employ jump training to target bone health. The long-term objective of this line of research is to determine how impact loading improves bone quality to ultimately reduce fracture risk.

This study is a randomized, controlled, trial to compare the effects of a 9-month supervised exercise program using three levels of load magnitude (4", 8", 12" jump height) and three load repetitions (10, 50, 100 jumps per session), on three dimensions of bone health (bone density, remodeling and strength) in 300 premenopausal women aged 18-42y. Bone density is the most widely recognized dimension of bone health and clinically accepted index of fracture risk. Bone remodeling reflects the dynamic state of bone and can predict fracture risk independent of bone density. Bone strength, represented by Femur Strength Index, is a reflection of the geometry and structural competence of bone.

Low-cost osteoporosis prevention strategies including jumping exercises, could lower the incidence of osteoporotic fractures without an increase in medical costs, and provide an alternative to drug therapy. This project will allow the investigators to determine the minimum effective dose of jumping exercise required to benefit bone health in premenopausal women and will lead to future research on how exercise improves bone quality and reduces fracture risk.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
Female
Target Recruitment
357
Inclusion Criteria
  • Premenopausal with a history of regular menses (10-12 cycles/year)
Exclusion Criteria
  • Current smoking
  • Obesity (BMI > 30 kg/m2) or underweight (BMI < 18 kg/m2)
  • Use of medications known to affect bone metabolism including thyroid hormone, thiazide diuretics, aromatase inhibitors, hormone replacement therapy, selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMS) and bisphosphonates within the previous 6 months. (Note: Women currently using hormonal birth control (e.g. estrogen, progesterone, depot medroxyprogesterone acetate) for at least the previous 12 months will not be excluded from participation, but will be asked to continue with their current method throughout the study period).
  • Chronic disorders that affect bone metabolism and/or the ability to participate in exercise training such as diabetes, hyperparathyroidism, uncontrolled hypothyroidism, balance difficulties, use of narcotic medication.
  • Regular participation in exercise associated with a large volume of jumping (i.e., volleyball, basketball, high-impact aerobics, plyometrics, gymnastics, etc) within the past year.

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Group 3Jump10-cm step, 100 reps
Group 4Jump20-cm step, 10 reps
Group 5Jump20-cm step, 50 reps
Group 2Jump10-cm step, 50 reps
Group 1Jump10-cm step, 10 reps
Group 6Jump20-cm step, 100 reps
Group 7Jump30-cm step, 10 reps
Group 8Jump30-cm step, 50 reps
Group 9Jump30-cm step, 100 reps
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Bone mineral densityChange from baseline bone mineral density at 9 months

Bone mineral density using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Bone remodelingChange from baseline bone formation and resorption markers at 9 months

Bone formation and resorption markers in blood

Bone strengthChange from baseline femur strength index at 9 months

Femur strength Index (FSI) calculated from DXA scan

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