Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The STEP trials

A round-up of the STEP phase 3 clinical trials evaluating semaglutide for weight loss in people with overweight or obesity.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
Osteoporosis International
Published in: Osteoporosis International 12/2008

01-12-2008 | Original Paper

Muscle power is related to tibial bone strength in older women

Authors: M. C. Ashe, T. Y. L. Liu-Ambrose, D. M. L. Cooper, K. M. Khan, H. A. McKay

Published in: Osteoporosis International | Issue 12/2008

Login to get access

Abstract

Summary

We enrolled 65 to 75 year-old community-dwelling women and measured muscle power, strength, physical activity using accelerometry and tibial bone strength using peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT). Muscle power contributed 6.6% of the variance in the bone strength–strain index and 8.9% in the section modulus after accounting for age, height, weight, and physical activity; moderate to vigorous physical activity was related to muscle power in the lower extremity.

Introduction

Muscle power is associated with DXA measurements of bone mass, but it is not known whether muscle power is associated with bone strength. There are no reports of investigations that have tested the effect of muscle power on bone compartments using advanced imaging.

Methods

We enrolled 74 community-dwelling women aged 65–75 years. We measured muscle power and strength of leg extension using Keiser air-pressure resistance equipment. All participants wore a waist-mounted Actigraph accelerometer to record physical activity. We used peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) to measure tibial mid-shaft (50% of the site) bone strength (strength–strain index, section modulus). We used Pearson correlations and multi-level linear regression to investigate the associations between muscle and bone.

Results

Muscle power contributed 6.6% (p = 0.007) of the variance in the bone strength–strain index and 8.9% (p = 0.001) the variance in the section modulus in older women after accounting for age, height, weight, and physical activity. Moderate to vigorous physical activity was significantly related to muscle power in the lower extremity (r = 0.260; p = 0.041).

Conclusion

Muscle power significantly contributed to the variance in estimated bone strength. Whether power training will prove to be a more effective stimulus for bone strength than conventional strength training will require further studies.
Literature
1.
Martyn-St James M, Carroll S (2002) High-intensity resistance training and post-menopausal bone loss: a meta-analysis. Osteoporos Int 17:1225–1240CrossRef
2.
Wallace B, Cumming R (2000) Systematic review of randomized trials of the effect of exercise on bone mass in pre- and postmenopausal women. Calcif Tissue Int 67:10–18PubMedCrossRef
3.
Wolff I, van Croonenborg JJ, Kemper HCG et al (1999) The effect of exercise training on bone mass: a meta-analysis of published controlled trials in pre and postmenopausal women. Osteoporos Int 9:1–12PubMedCrossRef
4.
Ahlborg HG, Johnell O, Turner CH et al (2003) Bone loss and bone size after menopause. N Engl J Med 349:327–334PubMedCrossRef
5.
Campbell AJ, Borrie MJ, Spears GF (1989) Risk factors for falls in a community-based prospective study of people 70 years and older. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 44:M112–M117
6.
Moreland JD, Richardson JA, Goldsmith CH et al (2004) Muscle weakness and falls in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Am Geriatr Soc 52:1121–1129PubMedCrossRef
7.
Earles DR, Judge JO, Gunnarsson OT (2001) Velocity training induces power-specific adaptations in highly functioning older adults. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 82:872–878PubMedCrossRef
8.
Henwood TR, Taaffe DR (2005) Improved physical performance in older adults undertaking a short-term programme of high-velocity resistance training. Gerontology 51:108–115PubMedCrossRef
9.
De Vos NJ, Singh NA, Ross DA et al (2005) Optimal load for increasing muscle power during explosive resistance training in older adults. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 60:638–647PubMed
10.
Orr R, de Vos NJ, Singh NA et al (2006) Power training improves balance in healthy older adults. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 61:78–85PubMed
11.
Signorile JF, Carmel MP, Czaja SJ et al (2002) Differential increases in average isokinetic power by specific muscle groups of older women due to variations in training and testing. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 57:M683–M690PubMed
12.
Fielding RA, LeBrasseur NK, Cuoco A et al (2002) High-velocity resistance training increases skeletal muscle peak power in older women. J Am Geriatr Soc 50:655–662PubMedCrossRef
13.
Miszko TA, Cress ME, Slade JM et al (2003) Effect of strength and power training on physical function in community-dwelling older adults. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 58:171–175PubMed
14.
Bottaro M, Machado SN, Nogueira W et al (2007) Effect of high versus low-velocity resistance training on muscular fitness and functional performance in older men. Eur J Appl Physiol 99:257–264PubMedCrossRef
15.
Skelton DA, Greig CA, Davies JM et al (1994) Strength, power and related functional ability of healthy people aged 65–89 years. Age Ageing 23:371–377PubMedCrossRef
16.
Seynnes O, Fiatarone Singh MA, Hue O et al (2004) Physiological and functional responses to low-moderate versus high-intensity progressive resistance training in frail elders. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 59:503–509PubMed
17.
Pruitt LA, Taaffe DR, Marcus R (1995) Effects of a one-year high-intensity versus low-intensity resistance training program on bone mineral density in older women. J Bone Miner Res 10:1788–1795PubMed
18.
Sullivan DH, Roberson PK, Johnson LE et al (2005) Effects of muscle strength training and testosterone in frail elderly males. Med Sci Sports Exerc 37:1664–1672PubMedCrossRef
19.
Stengel SV, Kemmler W, Pintag R et al (2005) Power training is more effective than strength training for maintaining bone mineral density in postmenopausal women. J Appl Physiol 99:181–188PubMedCrossRef
20.
Von Stengel S, Kemmler W, Lauber D et al (2007) Differential effects of strength versus power training on bone mineral density in postmenopausal women—a two year longitudinal study. Br J Sports Med 41:649–655; discussion 655.Erratum 41:926CrossRef
21.
Vainionpaa A, Korpelainen R, Sievanen H et al (2007) Effect of impact exercise and its intensity on bone geometry at weight-bearing tibia and femur. Bone 40:604–611PubMedCrossRef
22.
Genant HK, Engelke K, Fuerst T et al (1996) Non-invasive assessment of bone mineral and structure: state of the art. J Bone Miner Res 11:707–730PubMedCrossRef
23.
Groll DL, To T, Bombardier C et al (2005) The development of a comorbidity index with physical function as the outcome. J Clin Epidemiol 58:595–602PubMedCrossRef
24.
Washburn R, Smith K, Jette A et al (1993) The Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE): development and evaluation. J Clin Epidemiol 52:153–162CrossRef
25.
Ward DS, Evenson KR, Vaughn A et al (2005) Accelerometer use in physical activity: best practices and research recommendations. Med Sci Sports Exerc 37 [11 Suppl]:S582–S588PubMedCrossRef
26.
Swartz AM, Strath SJ, Bassett DR Jr et al (2000) Estimation of energy expenditure using CSA accelerometers at hip and wrist sites. Med Sci Sports Exerc 32 [9 Suppl]:S450–S456PubMed
27.
Bean JF, Kiely DK, Herman S et al (2002) The relationship between leg power and physical performance in mobility-limited older people. J Am Geriatr Soc 50:461–467PubMedCrossRef
28.
Sievänen H, Koskue V, Rauhio A et al (1998) Peripheral quantitative computed tomography in human long bones: evaluation of in vitro and in vivo precision. J Bone Miner Res 13:871–882PubMedCrossRef
29.
Rantalainen T, Heinonen A, Komi PV, Linnamo V (2008) Neuromuscular performance and bone structural characteristics in young healthy men and women. Eur J Appl Physiol 102:215–222PubMedCrossRef
30.
Liu-Ambrose TY, Khan KM, Eng JJ et al (2004) Both resistance and agility training increase cortical bone density in 75- to 85-year-old women with low bone mass: a 6-month randomized controlled trial. J Clin Densitom 7:390–398PubMedCrossRef
31.
Andrews AW, Thomas MW, Bohannon RW (1996) Normative values for isometric muscle force measurements obtained with hand-held dynamometers. Phys Ther 76:248–259PubMed
32.
Judex S, Zernicke RF (2000) High-impact exercise and growing bone: relation between high strain rates and enhanced bone formation. J Appl Physiol 88:2183–2191PubMed
33.
Mosley JR, Lanyon LE (1998) Strain rate as a controlling influence on adaptive modeling in response to dynamic loading of the ulna in growing male rats. Bone 23:313–318PubMedCrossRef
34.
Turner CH, Owan I, Takano Y (1995) Mechanotransduction in bone: role of strain rate. Am J Physiol 269:E438–E442PubMed
35.
Burger EH, Klein-Nulend J (1999) Mechanotransduction in bone—role of the lacuno-canalicular network. FASEB J 13:S101–S112PubMed
36.
Macdonald H, Kontulainen S, Petit M et al (2006) Bone strength and its determinants in pre- and early pubertal boys and girls. Bone 39:598–608PubMedCrossRef
37.
Boussuge PY, Rance M, Bedu M et al (2006) Peak leg muscle power, peak VO2 and its correlates with physical activity in 57 to 70-year-old women. Eur J Appl Physiol 96:10–16PubMedCrossRef
38.
Gauchard GC, Tessier A, Jeandel C et al (2003) Improved muscle strength and power in elderly exercising regularly. Int J Sports Med 24:71–74PubMedCrossRef
39.
Kostka T, Bonnefoy M, Arsac LM et al (1991) Habitual physical activity and peak anaerobic power in elderly women. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol 76:81–87CrossRef
40.
Kostka T, Rahmani A, Berthouze SE et al (2000) Quadriceps muscle function in relation to habitual physical activity and VO2 max in men and women aged more than 65 years. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 55:B481–B488PubMed
Metadata
Title
Muscle power is related to tibial bone strength in older women
Authors
M. C. Ashe
T. Y. L. Liu-Ambrose
D. M. L. Cooper
K. M. Khan
H. A. McKay
Publication date
01-12-2008
Publisher
Springer-Verlag
Published in
Osteoporosis International / Issue 12/2008
Print ISSN: 0937-941X
Electronic ISSN: 1433-2965
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-008-0655-6

Other articles of this Issue 12/2008

Osteoporosis International 12/2008 Go to the issue

Letter

Measuring serum calcium before and after teriparatide treatment: authors’ response

Letter

Calculating clinically relevant drug doses to use in animal studies

Review

Bone in celiac disease

Original Article

Outcomes after switching from one bisphosphonate to another in 146 patients at a single university hospital

Original Artic le

A multifaceted intervention to improve treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women with wrist fractures: a cluster randomized trial

Original Article

Genetic influences on bone loss in the San Antonio Family Osteoporosis study