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Muscle power is related to tibial bone strength in older women

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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.

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Acknowledgements

Dr. Ashe and Dr. Liu-Ambrose are Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research (MSFHR) Scholars, Dr. Khan is a Canadian Institute of Health (CIHR) New Investigator and Dr. McKay is a MSFHR Senior Scholar. Vancouver Foundation (BCMSF, Operating Grant BCM06-0035), CIHR and MSFHR (Establishment Grant) supported this study. The Canada Foundation for Innovation funded equipment (Center for Hip Health and Mobility, IF, RHF 2004). We gratefully acknowledge the contribution of our participants.

Conflicts of interest

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Hip Health and Mobility, 315–2647 Willow Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5Z 3P1

    M. C. Ashe, T. Y. L. Liu-Ambrose, K. M. Khan & H. A. McKay

  2. Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, Vancouver, Canada

    M. C. Ashe, T. Y. L. Liu-Ambrose, K. M. Khan & H. A. McKay

  3. Department of Physical Therapy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

    M. C. Ashe & T. Y. L. Liu-Ambrose

  4. Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada

    D. M. L. Cooper

  5. Department of Orthopaedics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

    M. C. Ashe, K. M. Khan & H. A. McKay

  6. School of Human Kinetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

    K. M. Khan

  7. Department of Orthopaedics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

    H. A. McKay

Authors
  1. M. C. Ashe
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  2. T. Y. L. Liu-Ambrose
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  3. D. M. L. Cooper
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  4. K. M. Khan
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  5. H. A. McKay
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Correspondence to M. C. Ashe.

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Ashe, M.C., Liu-Ambrose, T.Y.L., Cooper, D.M.L. et al. Muscle power is related to tibial bone strength in older women. Osteoporos Int 19, 1725–1732 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-008-0655-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-008-0655-6

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