Abstract
Summary
This randomized, controlled, high-intensity strength and sprint training trial in middle-aged and older male sprint athletes showed significant improvements in mid-tibial structure and strength. The study reveals the adaptability of aging bone, suggesting that through a novel, intensive training stimulus it is possible to strengthen bones during aging.
Introduction
High-load, high-speed and impact-type exercise may be an efficient way of improving bone strength even in old age. We evaluated the effects of combined strength and sprint training on indices of bone health in competitive masters athletes, who serve as a group of older people who are likely to be able to participate in vigorous exercise of this kind.
Methods
Seventy-two men (age 40–85) were randomized into an experimental (EX, n = 40) and a control (CTRL, n = 32) group. EX participated in a 20-week program combining heavy and explosive strength exercises with sprint training. CTRL maintained their usual, run-based sprint training schedules. Bone structural, strength and densitometric parameters were assessed by peripheral QCT at the distal tibia and tibial midshaft.
Results
The intervention had no effects on distal tibia bone traits. At the mid-tibia, the mean difference in the change in cortical thickness (ThCO) in EX compared to CTRL was 2.0% (p = 0.007). The changes in structure and strength were more pronounced in the most compliant athletes (training adherence >75%). Compared to CTRL, total and cortical cross-sectional area, ThCO, and the area and density-weighted moments of inertia for the direction of the smallest flexural rigidity (I minA , I minD ) increased in EX by 1.6–3.2% (p = 0.023–0.006). Polar mass distribution analysis revealed increased BMC at the anteromedial site, whereas vBMD decreased (p = 0.035–0.043).
Conclusions
Intensive strength and sprint training improves mid-tibia structure and strength in middle-aged and older male sprint athletes, suggesting that in the presence of high-intensity loading exercise, the adaptability of the bone structure is maintained during aging.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Cheng S, Sipila S, Taaffe DR, Puolakka J, Suominen H (2002) Change in bone mass distribution induced by hormone replacement therapy and high-impact physical exercise in post-menopausal women. Bone 31:126–135
Heinonen A, Oja P, Kannus P, Sievanen H, Haapasalo H, Manttari A, Vuori I (1995) Bone mineral density in female athletes representing sports with different loading characteristics of the skeleton. Bone 17:197–203
Lanyon LE (1996) Using functional loading to influence bone mass and architecture: objectives, mechanisms, and relationship with estrogen of the mechanically adaptive process in bone. Bone 18:37S–43S
Nikander R, Sievanen H, Heinonen A, Kannus P (2005) Femoral neck structure in adult female athletes subjected to different loading modalities. J Bone Miner Res 20:520–528
Heinonen A, Kannus P, Sievanen H, Oja P, Pasanen M, Rinne M, Uusi-Rasi K, Vuori I (1996) Randomised controlled trial of effect of high-impact exercise on selected risk factors for osteoporotic fractures. Lancet 348:1343–1347
Wilks DC, Winwood K, Gilliver SF, Kwiet A, Chatfield M, Michaelis I, Sun LW, Ferretti JL, Sargeant AJ, Felsenberg D, Rittweger J (2009) Bone mass and geometry of the tibia and the radius of master sprinters, middle and long distance runners, race-walkers and sedentary control participants: a pQCT study. Bone 45:91–97
Rantalainen T, Duckham RL, Suominen H, Heinonen A, Alen M, Korhonen MT (2014) Tibial and fibular mid-shaft bone traits in young and older sprinters and non-athletic men. Calcif Tissue Int 95:132–140
Korhonen MT, Heinonen A, Siekkinen J, Isolehto J, Alen M, Kiviranta I, Suominen H (2012) Bone density, structure and strength, and their determinants in aging sprint athletes. Med Sci Sports Exerc 44:2340–2349
Rantalainen T, Nikander R, Heinonen A, Suominen H, Sievanen H (2010) Direction-specific diaphyseal geometry and mineral mass distribution of tibia and fibula: a pQCT study of female athletes representing different exercise loading types. Calcif Tissue Int 86:447–454
Ma H, Leskinen T, Alen M, Cheng S, Sipila S, Heinonen A, Kaprio J, Suominen H, Kujala UM (2009) Long-term leisure time physical activity and properties of bone: a twin study. J Bone Miner Res 24:1427–1433
Suominen H (2006) Muscle training for bone strength. Aging Clin Exp Res 18:85–93
Bailey CA, Kukuljan S, Daly RM (2010) Effects of lifetime loading history on cortical bone density and its distribution in middle-aged and older men. Bone 47:673–680
Nikander R, Sievanen H, Heinonen A, Daly RM, Uusi-Rasi K, Kannus P (2010) Targeted exercise against osteoporosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis for optimising bone strength throughout life. BMC Med 8:47
Allison SJ, Poole KE, Treece GM, Gee AH, Tonkin C, Rennie WJ, Folland JP, Summers GD, Brooke-Wavell K (2015) The influence of high-impact exercise on cortical and trabecular bone mineral content and 3D distribution across the proximal femur in older men: a randomized controlled unilateral intervention. J Bone Miner Res 30:1709–1716
Ashe MC, Gorman E, Khan KM, Brasher PM, Cooper DM, McKay HA, Liu-Ambrose T (2013) Does frequency of resistance training affect tibial cortical bone density in older women? A randomized controlled trial. Osteoporos Int 24:623–632
Kukuljan S, Nowson CA, Sanders KM, Nicholson GC, Seibel MJ, Salmon J, Daly RM (2011) Independent and combined effects of calcium-vitamin D3 and exercise on bone structure and strength in older men: an 18-month factorial design randomized controlled trial. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 96:955–963
Korhonen MT, Cristea A, Alen M, Hakkinen K, Sipila S, Mero A, Viitasalo JT, Larsson L, Suominen H (2006) Aging, muscle fiber type, and contractile function in sprint-trained athletes. J Appl Physiol (1985) 101:906–917
Cristea A, Korhonen MT, Hakkinen K, Mero A, Alen M, Sipila S, Viitasalo JT, Koljonen MJ, Suominen H, Larsson L (2008) Effects of combined strength and sprint training on regulation of muscle contraction at the whole-muscle and single-fibre levels in elite master sprinters. Acta Physiol (Oxf) 193:275–289
Delecluse C, Van Coppenolle H, Willems E, Van Leemputte M, Diels R, Goris M (1995) Influence of high-resistance and high-velocity training on sprint performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc 27:1203–1209
Joch W (1992) Rahmentrainingsplan für das Aufbautraining Sprint. Meyer & Meyer Verlag, Aachen
Kraemer WJ, Häkkinen K (2002) Strength training for sport. Blackwell Science, Oxford
Carter DR, Hayes WC (1976) Bone compressive strength: the influence of density and strain rate. Science 194:1174–1176
Kontulainen S, Sievanen H, Kannus P, Pasanen M, Vuori I (2003) Effect of long-term impact-loading on mass, size, and estimated strength of humerus and radius of female racquet-sports players: a peripheral quantitative computed tomography study between young and old starters and controls. J Bone Miner Res 18:352–359
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 102:215–222
Wong AK, Beattie KA, Min KK, Merali Z, Webber CE, Gordon CL, Papaioannou A, Cheung AM, Adachi JD (2015) A trimodality comparison of volumetric bone imaging technologies. Part II: 1-yr change, long-term precision, and least significant change. J Clin Densitom 18:260–269
O'Brien PC (1984) Procedures for comparing samples with multiple endpoints. Biometrics 40:1079–1087
Dubey SD (1985) Adjustment of p-values for multiplicities of intercorrelating symptoms. Proceedings of the VIth International Society for Clinical Biostatisticians, Düsseldorf
Adami S, Gatti D, Braga V, Bianchini D, Rossini M (1999) Site-specific effects of strength training on bone structure and geometry of ultradistal radius in postmenopausal women. J Bone Miner Res 14:120–124
Haapasalo H, Kontulainen S, Sievanen H, Kannus P, Jarvinen M, Vuori I (2000) Exercise-induced bone gain is due to enlargement in bone size without a change in volumetric bone density: a peripheral quantitative computed tomography study of the upper arms of male tennis players. Bone 27:351–357
Liu L, Maruno R, Mashimo T, Sanka K, Higuchi T, Hayashi K, Shirasaki Y, Mukai N, Saitoh S, Tokuyama K (2003) Effects of physical training on cortical bone at midtibia assessed by peripheral QCT. J Appl Physiol (1985) 95:219–224
Vainionpaa A, Korpelainen R, Sievanen H, Vihriala E, Leppaluoto J, Jamsa T (2007) Effect of impact exercise and its intensity on bone geometry at weight-bearing tibia and femur. Bone 40:604–611
Uusi-Rasi K, Kannus P, Cheng S, Sievanen H, Pasanen M, Heinonen A, Nenonen A, Halleen J, Fuerst T, Genant H, Vuori I (2003) Effect of alendronate and exercise on bone and physical performance of postmenopausal women: a randomized controlled trial. Bone 33:132–143
Karinkanta S, Heinonen A, Sievanen H, Uusi-Rasi K, Pasanen M, Ojala K, Fogelholm M, Kannus P (2007) A multi-component exercise regimen to prevent functional decline and bone fragility in home-dwelling elderly women: randomized, controlled trial. Osteoporos Int 18:453–462
Vainionpaa A, Korpelainen R, Vihriala E, Rinta-Paavola A, Leppaluoto J, Jamsa T (2006) Intensity of exercise is associated with bone density change in premenopausal women. Osteoporos Int 17:455–463
Weatherholt AM, Warden SJ (2016) Tibial bone strength is enhanced in the jump leg of collegiate-level jumping athletes: a within-subject controlled cross-sectional study. Calcif Tissue Int 98:129–139
Heinonen A, Mantynen J, Kannus P, Uusi-Rasi K, Nikander R, Kontulainen S, Sievanen H (2012) Effects of high-impact training and detraining on femoral neck structure in premenopausal women: a hip structural analysis of an 18-month randomized controlled exercise intervention with 3.5-year follow-up. Physiother Can 64:98–105
Bolam KA, Skinner TL, Jenkins DG, Galvao DA, Taaffe DR (2015) The osteogenic effect of impact-loading and resistance exercise on bone mineral density in middle-aged and older men: a pilot study. Gerontology 62:22–32
Nichols J, Nelson K, Peterson K, Sartoris D (1995) Bone mineral density responses to high-intensity strength training in active older women. J Aging Phys Act 3:26–38
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 10:1788–1795
Vincent K, Braith R (2002) Resistance exercise and bone turnover in elderly men and women. Med Sci Sports Exerc 34:17–23
Kohrt WM, Bloomfield SA, Little KD, Nelson ME, Yingling VR, American College of Sports Medicine (2004) American College of Sports Medicine position stand: physical activity and bone health. Med Sci Sports Exerc 36:1985–1996
Bass S, Delmas PD, Pearce G, Hendrich E, Tabensky A, Seeman E (1999) The differing tempo of growth in bone size, mass, and density in girls is region-specific. J Clin Invest 104:795–804
Rantalainen T, Nikander R, Daly RM, Heinonen A, Sievanen H (2011) Exercise loading and cortical bone distribution at the tibial shaft. Bone 48:786–791
Acknowledgments
The authors gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Martti J. Koljonen in designing the training program. We would also like to thank Timo Annala, Milan Sedliak, Leena Hakola and Risto Puurtinen for valuable technical assistance with the data collection and analysis, and all the athletes participating in this study. The study was supported by grants from the Academy of Finland (250683), Ministry of Education and Culture, Peurunka-Medical Rehabilitation Foundation, Ellen and Artturi Nyyssönen Foundation, Juho Vainio Foundation and Finnish Cultural Foundation to MK and HS.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Written informed consent was obtained from all subjects prior to participation in the study. The study was approved by the University of Jyväskylä Ethical Committee and conformed with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki.
Conflicts of interest
None.
Electronic supplementary material
ESM 1
(PDF 1939 kb)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Suominen, T.H., Korhonen, M.T., Alén, M. et al. Effects of a 20-week high-intensity strength and sprint training program on tibial bone structure and strength in middle-aged and older male sprint athletes: a randomized controlled trial. Osteoporos Int 28, 2663–2673 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-017-4107-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-017-4107-z