Scand J Med Sci Sports 2004: 14: 16–23 COPYRIGHT & BLACKWELL MUNKSGAARD 2004

Printed in Denmark . All rights reserved

DOI: 10.1046/j.1600-0838.2003.00328.x

Regional bone mineral density after resistive training in young

and older men and women
Alice S. Ryan1, Fred M. Ivey2, Diane E. Hurlbut2, Gregory F. Martel2, Jeffrey T. Lemmer2, John D. Sorkin1,
E. Jeffrey Metter3, Jerome L. Fleg3, Ben F. Hurley2
1
Department of Medicine, Division of Gerontology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and the Geriatric Research,
Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), Baltimore VA Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, USA,
2
The University of Maryland, Department of Kinesiology, College Park, MD, USA
3
The National Institutes of Aging, Gerontology Research Center, Baltimore, MD, USA
Corresponding author: Alice S. Ryan, PhD, Division of Gerontology, BT/18/GR, Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center,
Baltimore, MD 21201, USA. Tel: (410) 605-7851, Fax: (410) 605-7913, E-mail: aryan@grecc.umaryland.edu
Accepted for publication 7 February 2003

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the
effects of 6 months of whole-body resistive training (RT)
on total and regional bone mineral density (BMD) and bone
mineral content (BMC) by age and gender in young and
older men and women. Methods: Younger men (n 5 10)
and women (n 5 7) aged 20–29 years (2571 years) and
older men (n 5 10) and women (n 5 10) aged 65–74 years
(6971 years) participated in 6 months of progressive
whole-body RT. Upper- and lower-body strength was
assessed by the one repetition maximum (1RM) test, and
total body fat, lean tissue mass, femoral neck BMD,
Ward’s triangle BMD, greater trochanter BMD, total-
body BMD, and L2–L4 spine BMD were determined by
dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry before and after 6
months of RT. Results: Percent body fat decreased only
in the young men (Po0.05). Lean tissue mass increased
after training in young men and women and older men
(Po0.05) but did not change significantly in older women.
Upper- and lower-body 1RM strength increased in all
groups (Po0.01). Overall, there was a significant increase
in BMD at the femoral neck, ward’s triangle and greater
trochanter BMD, as well as total body BMC and leg BMC
(Po0.05). Total-body BMD and L2–L4 spine BMD
did not change with RT. There were no gender differences
in the training response between men and women for
any of the BMD regions and no age differences in the
training response, except for a trend between young and
older subjects for femoral neck (Po0.08). Conclusion: A
6-month RT program increases muscle mass and improves
BMD of the femoral region in young and healthy older men
and women as a group, with a trend for this to be greater in
young subjects.

Introduction enhancing bone mass (Rubin et al., 1987). Resistive

Peak bone mass is a major determinant of future risk
for bone fracture. Reducing the risk for osteoporosis
may involve increasing bone mass at skeletal
maturity, and preventing or slowing the loss of bone
mineral density (BMD) with advancing age. Age-
associated losses in BMD (Mazess, 1982) are
accompanied by a loss of fat-free mass (Steer,
1988), muscle strength (Lindle et al., 1997), and
muscle quality (Lynch et al., 1999). Collectively,
these concomitants of aging may increase both falls
and fracture risk in the elderly. Therefore, it is
optimal to not only maximize the bone mineral
status of young men and women but also to
minimize decreases in bone density and loss of
muscle mass with advancing age.
Exercise training is increasingly recommended for
older persons to strengthen bones. Regular exercise
that accentuates muscular skeletal loading with few
repetitions and high stress may be optimal for
training (RT), which places heavy loads on the
skeleton during a training session and increases both
strength and muscle mass, may increase BMD
(Nelson et al., 1994; Treuth et al., 1994; McCartney
et al., 1995; Ryan et al., 1995). However, a clear
consensus of the effects of RT on BMD has not been
reached. In prior studies, RT increased (Snow-
Harter et al., 1992; Lohman et al., 1995), did not
change (Gleeson et al., 1990) or decreased (Rockwell
et al., 1990) BMD in premenopausal women and
increased (Nelson, 1994) or maintained BMD
(Notelovitz et al., 1991; Ryan et al., 1998) in
postmenopausal women. Relatively little informa-
tion is available concerning the effects of RT on
BMD in men. RT of 16 weeks increased femoral
neck BMD in middle-aged men (Menkes et al., 1993;
Ryan et al., 1994) but did not change the BMD in
this region in elderly men (Yarasheski et al., 1997).
Furthermore, no age or gender comparisons of the
BMD response to RT have been made in the same

16

study using an identical RT intervention for all
groups. Thus, it is unclear as to whether BMD
responds differently to an RT program in men vs.
women or in younger vs. older individuals. There-
fore, the purpose of this study was to compare age
and gender BMD responsiveness to RT by compar-
ing the effects of 6 months of RT on total and
regional BMD in young men, young women, older
men, and older women.
Methods
Subjects
Subjects were recruited through advertisements in the
Washington area newspapers for participation in this Uni-
versity- and hospital-based study. The study began with 23
older men (n 5 12) and women (n 5 11) aged 65–74 years
(6971 years) and 21 younger men (n 5 13) and women (n 5 8)
aged 20–29 years (2571 years). Two older subjects (one male
and one female) and four younger subjects (three males and
one female) did not complete the training protocol due to
illness, personal reasons, and/or time constraints. These
subjects did not differ in age, BMI, or BMD compared with
those who completed the protocol. Body composition and
BMD data are missing for one older male who completed the
intervention. Therefore, these seven subjects were excluded
from the data analysis. The majority of the men and women
were Caucasian with the exception of three African-Amer-
icans (one older male, two older females) and three Asians
(two young men, one older female). Subjects were screened by
medical history, physical examination, fasting blood profile,
2 h oral glucose tolerance test, and a graded exercise treadmill
test. All subjects were nonsmokers, free of cardiovascular
disease (CVD), and were not on any medications known to
influence calcium or bone metabolism with the exception of
two older women who were on hormone-replacement therapy.
All older women were at least 2 years postmenopausal. Only
persons who were weight stable and had not participated in a
regular exercise program for a minimum of 6 months prior to
the study were included. All methods and procedures were
approved by the Institutional Review Boards of the University
of Maryland and all subjects provided written informed
consent.
Strength tests
Prior to the strength assessment, subjects participated in five
training sessions using light resistance to become familiar with
the equipment and the exercise techniques and to control for
artificially high initial strength gains due to motor learning
effects. Upper-body and lower-body strength were assessed by
the one repetition maximum (1RM) test, defined as the
maximum amount of resistance that could be moved
successfully through the full range of motion at one time.
Subjects attempted lifts with gradually increasing loads.
Successive attempts were made with B30 s rest between
attempts until failure to complete another repetition occurred.
Approximately the same number of trials was used to reach
the 1RM before compared to after training. Strength was
assessed for both the upper and lower body using the
following exercise machines: leg press, leg extension, chest
press, latissimus pulldown, and triceps pushdown. Leg
strength on both leg machines was tested unilaterally, but
the summed values were used in the analysis. The biceps were
tested with free weights using a biceps curl.
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BMD and resistive training in men and women
RT program
The RT program consisted of three exercise sessions per week
on nonconsecutive days for approximately 6 months using 11
exercises of pneumatic variable-resistance machines (Keiser
K-300, Keiser Sports Health Inc., Fresno, CA, USA),
dumbbells, and floor exercises, as previously described (Ryan
et al., 1995), with some modifications. The training included
the following exercises: leg press, chest press, leg curl,
latissimus pulldown, leg extension, military press, seated
row, triceps pushdown, abdominal crunch, biceps curl, and
sit-ups. To minimize the risk of staleness and boredom during
the study, the ST program was divided into two 12-week
periods. During the first 12 weeks of the program, subjects
performed two sets of leg exercises and one set of upper-body
exercises as previously described (Ryan et al., 1995). After
approximately 12 weeks, the protocol was varied so that not
all exercises were performed during every training session. On
Mondays, subjects performed one set of the chest press,
latissimus pulldown, and shoulder press exercises and two sets
of the three leg exercises. On Wednesdays, subjects performed
one set of all upper- and lower-body exercises. On Fridays, the
ST session consisted of one set of triceps, upper back,
abdominal, and biceps curls and two sets of the leg exercises.
Biceps curls and abdominal crunches were performed in the
same manner as during the first 12 weeks of training.
Abdominal crunches were performed on all training days.
Subjects gradually increased the resistance, following a warm-
up at 50% of their 1RM, until failure to complete a repetition.
This resulted in 12–15RM, including the warm-up repetitions.
During both phases of training, the beginning and ending
weights were recorded after each session in order to assess the
increases in muscular strength that were occurring. The
decision to increase the load was based on whether they
could achieve the minimum and maximum repetitions of 12–
15 while using maximal effort (i.e., 12–15RM). Subjects were
weighed at every third exercise session. Younger and older
subjects underwent the RT program in similar seasons.
Attendance at the training sessions was 470% in the young
subjects and 485% in the older men and women.
Body composition and BMD
Total body fat mass, lean tissue mass, and bone mineral
content (BMC) (g) were determined by dual-energy X-ray
absorptiometry (DXA) (Model DPX-L LUNAR Radiation
Corp., Madison, WI, USA). All DXA scans were analyzed by
the same investigator using the LUNAR Corporation Version
1.3Z DPX-L extended analysis program for body composi-
tion. The coefficients of variation (CV) for total body percent
fat, fat tissue mass, lean tissue mass, and BMC are 1.4%,
1.4%, 0.7%, and 0.4%, respectively, which was determined by
five repeat scans with repositioning of one individual.
The same DXA scanner and software were used to scan the
total body, anterioposterior (AP) lumbar spine (L2–L4) and
femur (femoral neck, Ward’s triangle, greater trochanter) to
obtain total and regional BMD (g cm 2). The CVs for these
regions are 0.5%, 0.8%, 1.3%, 4.2%, and 1.3%, respectively,
which was determined by five repeat scans with repositioning
of two individuals and analyzed by the same investigator.
Regions of interest, including arms, legs, and trunk BMC, were
analyzed using the extended analysis of the LUNAR software.
Statistical analyses
Initial analyses were designed to determine if RT changed
regional bone density in the entire study population. If
a change in the entire study population was detected,
17

Ryan et al.
subsequent analyses were run to determine if the change
varied by age group or gender. These analyses were performed
using ANOVA. The dependent variable in each ANOVA was
the change in bone density for each region; the independent
variables included the BMD or BMC before RT, an age term
(young vs. old), a gender term (male vs. female), and an age by
gender interaction. Differences in BMD at baseline within
each sex and within each age group were determined by t-
tests. Pearson correlation coefficients were determined to
evaluate relationships among variables of body composition,
BMD, and strength. All statistical tests were two-tailed. Data
are expressed as mean7standard error of the mean (SEM)
and significance was set at the Po0.05 level.
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(Po0.005), but similar body weight and lean tissue
mass than the young women.
Body weight and fat mass did not significantly
change after training in any group. Percent body fat
decreased significantly in the young men (Po0.05),
but did not change significantly in the other groups.
Lean tissue mass increased significantly after training
in young men, young women, and older men (all
Po0.05), but did not change significantly in older
women.

Results
Subject characteristics
Subject characteristics are presented in Table 1. The
average age did not differ between young men and
young women or between older men and older
women. Although baseline BMI was similar between
young men and young women and between older
men and older women, baseline body weight was
higher in the men (Po0.01). In the comparisons by
age group, there were no significant differences in
body weight, lean tissue mass, or fat mass between
the young and older men. However, older women
had higher fat mass (Po0.05) and percent body fat
Muscular strength
The men had significantly higher baseline 1RM
values than the women for all strength tests
(Po0.01), except that no differences were observed
for leg extension strength between the two young
groups (Table 2). Moreover, the younger subjects
were stronger than older subjects at baseline (all
Po0.05) with a few exceptions. There were no
significant differences in leg extension in young
and older men and no differences in biceps curl,
latissimus pulldown, and leg press between young
and older women prior to training.
RT increased muscular strength significantly in all
four groups for all exercises tested (Table 2; all

Table 1. Subject characteristics before and after training in all four age and gender groups

Young men Young women Older men Older women

Before After Before After Before After Before After

training training training training training training training training

Age (years) 2571 2671 7071 6871

Weight (kg) 82.875.2 83.074.9 63.475.0 65.475.2 80.873.0 81.072.9 70.272.1 70.772.3
Height (cm) 177.472.5 F 166.571.6 F 173.771.4 F 161.072.3 F
BMI (kg cm 2) 26.571.3 26.971.4 23.471.5 23.971.5 26.971.0 26.771.0 27.370.8 27.770.9
Body fat (%) 24.072.5 22.272.2* 31.972.2 31.772.1 28.971.5 28.171.6 40.771.2 40.071.4
Fat mass (kg) 20.973.5 19.273.0 20.973.0 21.473.0 23.872.2 23.272.1 28.771.4 28.571.7
Lean tissue mass (kg) 58.872.4 60.672.3* 40.072.0 41.572.2* 54.071.1 54.970.9* 39.471.0 40.170.9

Values are means7SEM. Significantly dierent compared to before training (*Po0.05).

Table 2. 1RM strength values (kg) before and after training in all four age and gender groups

Young men Young women Older men Older women

Before After Before After Before After Before After

training training training training training training training training

Leg extension 148715 200718* 145714 187720* 15878 205710** 9276 11778**
Leg press 697726 871735** 419738 585750* 534725 636726** 349729 445726**
Chest press 7275 8977** 3472 4773* 4572 5372** 2771 3171**
Latissimus pulldown 7475 9276** 3473 4673* 5171 6373** 2971 3671**
Biceps curl 3573 4674** 1572 2472* 2771 3471** 1571 2071**
Triceps pushdown 8178 110710** 4273 5975* 5172 6673** 3172 3971**

Values are means7SEM. 1RM values for leg strength on both leg machines are the results from the sum of both legs. Significantly dierent compared to
before training (*Po0.01, **Po0.001).

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BMD and resistive training in men and women
2
Table 3. Bone mineral density values (g cm ) before and after training in all four age and gender groups

Young men Young women Older Men Older women

Before After Before After Before After Before After

training training training training training training training Training

Total body 1.25670.027 1.26370.025 1.17870.029 1.18170.032 1.20570.020 1.21070.018 1.04170.029 1.04770.031
Lumbar spine 1.26070.047 1.26270.045 1.23970.036 1.27370.036 1.24070.035 1.25070.035 1.04970.044 1.04670.046
Femoral neck 1.14170.047 1.16870.048 1.00570.067 1.01870.069 0.92670.039 0.92870.040 0.82570.047 0.82670.045
Ward’s triangle 1.07070.052 1.10270.050 0.93270.074 0.96370.079 0.74370.047 0.74970.052 0.71370.051 0.71770.051
Greater trochanter 0.93970.057 0.95270.054 0.79270.052 0.80970.052 0.91970.031 0.93570.029 0.72770.044 0.72470.041

Values are means7SEM.

Po0.01). The relative increases in strength did not
differ between young men and young women, or
between older men and older women. In age
comparisons, relative changes in strength were
similar between the young men and the older men.
In addition, relative improvements in strength were
similar for each exercise between young and older
women, except that younger women had a larger
percent increase in chest press strength than older
women.
Bone mineral density
There were no differences in total body, lumbar
spine, or the femoral regions of BMD between the
young groups at baseline (Table 3). In contrast, older
men had higher total BMD, L2–L4 spine BMD, and
greater trochanter BMD than older women prior to
training (Po0.005). As expected, differences in
BMD were observed with age. Total body, L2–L4
spine, femoral neck, and Ward’s triangle BMD were
significantly lower in older women than young
women (all Po0.05). Femoral neck and Ward’s
triangle BMD were lower in older men than young
men (Po0.001).
Overall, there was a significant increase in femoral
neck BMD (0.97270.025 vs. 0.98270.032 g cm 2,
Po0.05, Fig. 1). Simple t-tests, not corrected for
multiple comparisons, indicate that the increase was
limited to the young men (Po0.05). However, after
adjustment for multiple comparisons using ANOVA,
there was a trend for a difference between the young
and older subjects (Po0.08) with no gender differ-
ence. There was also a significant increase in Ward’s

Fig. 1. BMD ( g cm 2) after RT of the femoral neck, Ward’s triangle, and greater trochanter in young and older men and
women. Values are means 7 SEM. *Po0.05 before vs. after resistive training.

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Ryan et al.
triangle BMD (0.85970.036 vs. 0.876 7 0.038 g cm 2,
Po0.05) and greater trochanter BMD (0.84870.027
vs. 0.85970.027 g cm 2, Po0.05) in the entire study
population (Fig. 1). There were no age or gender
differences in Ward’s triangle or greater trochanter
BMD and their response to RT. Total body BMD
(1.16970.019 vs. 1.17570.019 g cm 2) and L2–L4
spine BMD (1.19470.025 vs. 1.20270.025 g cm 2)
did not change with RT and there were no age or
gender differences in their response to RT. Total body
BMC (2.72670.009 vs. 2.74570.009 kg, Po0.05)
and leg BMC (1.08670.004 vs. 1.09770.004 kg,
Po0.05) also significantly increased with RT in the
entire study population. Simple t-tests, not corrected for
multiple comparisons, indicate that the increase in total
BMC was limited to the young men (Po0.05). Yet, Fig. 2. Relationship between baseline leg press strength (kg)
after adjustment for multiple comparisons using and femoral neck BMD (g cm 2) in young and older men
ANOVA, there was no age or gender difference in and women (r 5 0.58, Po0.001).
total BMC. There was no age or gender difference in
the change in leg BMC to RT. Arm BMC and trunk
BMC (data not shown) did not change significantly
with RT.

Relationships of BMD with body composition and

muscular strength
Body weight was significantly associated with greater
total body BMD (r 5 0.52, Po0.005), L2–L4 BMD
(r 5 0.33, Po0.05), and greater trochanter BMD
(r 5 0.51, Po0.005), but not with the BMD of either
the femoral neck or Ward’s triangle in the entire
group before training. Lean tissue mass was sig-
nificantly associated with total body BMD (r 5 0.71,
Po0.0001), lumbar spine BMD (r 5 0.46, Po0.005),
and all three regions of the femur at baseline Fig. 3. Relationship between baseline chest press strength
(femoral neck, Ward’s triangle, and greater trochan- (kg) and L2–L4 BMD (g cm 2) in young and older men and
ter BMD, r 5 0.51, 0.43, and 0.66, respectively, all women (r 5 0.47, Po0.005).
Po0.01).
Initial 1RM strength values for the leg press
were highly correlated with baseline total body with the increase in femoral neck BMD (r 5 0.46,
BMD (r 5 0.66, Po0.0001), L2–L4 BMD (r 5 0.49, Po0.01) and total body BMD (r 5 0.37, Po0.05).
Po0.005) and femoral neck (Fig. 2), Ward’s triangle No other significant associations were observed
and the greater trochanter BMD in all subjects between changes in muscular strength and changes
(r 5 0.58, 0.56, 0.47, respectively, all Po0.001). in total or regional BMD.
Significant associations were found at baseline
between 1RM values for the chest press and L2–L4
BMD (Fig. 3), femoral neck, Ward’s triangle, and Discussion
greater trochanter before RT (r 5 0.47, 0.58, 0.60,
0.49, respectively, all Po0.005). Initial latissimus Maximizing the peak bone mineral status of young
pulldown 1RM values were also significantly asso- men and women, as well as increasing strength and
ciated with baseline L2–L4, femoral neck, Ward’s muscle mass, may optimize factors to reduce fracture
triangle, and greater trochanter BMD (r 5 0.42–0.53, risk in later years. The loss of BMD with aging that
all Po0.05). Increases in 1RM values for the leg may coincide with the increased inactivity, loss of
press were associated with the increase in Ward’s muscle mass, and decline in strength with aging may
triangle BMD (r 5 0.35, Po0.05). The increase in lead to falls and the development of osteoporosis.
1RM values for the leg extension was associated The current results indicate that gender and age do

20

not influence BMD responsiveness to RT. Specifi-
cally, results of this study demonstrate that 6 months
of RT increases BMD in the femoral region in
healthy young and older men and women. The RT
program did not change total and lumbar spine
BMD in any group.
Cross-sectional studies indicate that young male
strength-trained athletes have higher BMD (Colletti
et al., 1989; Karlsson et al., 1993) and serum
osteocalcin levels (a marker of bone formation)
(Karlsson et al., 1995) than controls. To our knowl-
edge, only one longitudinal investigation (Fujimura
et al., 1997) has previously examined the effects of
RT on BMD in young men. In that study, 4 months
of RT did not change total, lumbar spine, or femoral
neck BMD (Fujimura et al., 1997). The reasons for
the discrepancy in changes in femoral neck BMD
between these findings and those of the present study
are not known since intensity and type of training
appeared to be similar. However, the training
protocol in the present study was 2 months longer
in duration.
Only a few prospective studies have been reported
in older men. RT of 16 weeks increased lumbar spine
BMD by 2% (Menkes et al., 1993) and femoral neck
BMD by B3% (Menkes et al., 1993; Ryan et al.,
1994) but did not change total body, Ward’s triangle,
or greater trochanter BMD in middle-aged men.
Ward’s triangle BMD increased after 16 weeks of RT
in elderly men, but whole-body, lumbar spine, and
femoral neck BMD were unchanged (Yarasheski
et al., 1997). Our results confirm those that showed
that 10 months of RT did not change total-body
or lumbar spine bone mass in 60–80-year old men
(McCartney et al., 1995).
Our results in premenopausal women confirm
previous studies, which report a maintenance of
lumbar spine (Gleeson et al., 1990; Rockwell et al.,
1990) after RT. In contrast, others have reported
an increase (Snow-Harter et al., 1992; Lohman et al.,
1995) or a decrease in lumbar BMD (Rockwell et al.,
1990), and a maintenance of femoral BMD (Snow-
Harter et al., 1992; Chilibeck et al., 1996) with RT
in premenopausal women. In general, the intensity
and duration of training were similar in each of
these studies such that 2–3 sets were performed at
initial resistances of B70% 1RM for 5–12 months.
Thus, the intensity or duration of the resistance
training probably does not explain the disparate
results.
Previous studies that have examined the effects of
RT on BMD in older women have also reported
disparate results (Dalsky et al., 1988; Rikli, &
McManis, 1990; Notelovitz et al., 1991; Peterson et
al., 1991; Pruitt et al., 1992; Svendsen et al., 1993;
Nelson et al., 1994; Ryan et al., 1998), perhaps
because, in some cases, RT was combined with
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BMD and resistive training in men and women
aerobic training (Rikli & McManis, 1990; Peterson et
al., 1991; Svendsen et al., 1993) or estrogen therapy
(Notelovitz et al., 1991). Of the studies that
employed RT alone, we (Ryan et al., 1998) and
others (Pruitt et al., 1992; McCartney et al., 1995)
have observed no significant changes in the total-
body, lumbar spine, or femoral neck BMD. In
contrast, Nelson et al. (1994) observed small
increases in femoral neck (0.9%) and lumbar spine
(1.0%) BMD after a 1 year 2-day per week RT
program in 50–70-year-old postmenopausal women.
Although these changes were within the range of
precision of the technique to detect changes, the
preservation of BMD in the exercise group was
significant only when contrasted with the decrease in
BMD in these regions in sedentary controls (Nelson
et al., 1994). Our study differs from that of Nelson et
al. (1994) in sample size of the exercise group (10 vs.
20 women), lack of control group for comparison,
and differences in age because the women in our
study were older by almost 10 years (65–74 vs. 50–70
years.).
Although a limitation of the present study is the
lack of age- and gender-matched control groups, we
have preliminary evidence that the increases in BMD
and BMC are clinically significant. In the Baltimore
Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA), femoral neck
BMD declines B1.5% and 0.8% per year in young
(25 years of age) men and women, respectively.
Lumbar spine BMD had minimal increases per year
in young men or women (B0.2–0.4%). These
findings contrast the 2–3% increases in femoral neck
BMD in our RT young subjects, which suggests that
RT may have accelerated bone formation in the
young group. Likewise, in older men and women
(B67 years old) participating in the BLSA there was,
in general, a loss of BMD in the trochanter (B0.9%
and 0.7% per year in men and women) and femoral
neck (B0.53% and 0.03%). Although a large
variation exists in both the BLSA population and
ours with respect to changes in BMD over 1 year, it
appears that RT may have slowed bone loss in the
older men and women. We also recognize that our
sample sizes are too low to adequately detect age and
gender differences in the response to RT.
Bone density is positively associated with the
strength of the anatomically related structures (Sinaki
et al., 1986; Zimmermann et al., 1990). Furthermore,
positive associations between bone mass and fat-free
mass (Aloia et al., 1995) and between BMD and
muscular strength (Ryan et al., 1998) have been
reported previously. We also found significant
associations between lean tissue mass and total
BMD and all regional measures of BMD in young
and older men and women. The present study
confirms the previous associations of baseline leg
press strength with femoral BMD and chest press
21

Ryan et al.
strength with spinal BMD in postmenopausal women
(Ryan et al., 1998), and extends them to include
young men and women and older men. Additional
research is needed to examine whether these two
exercises may be important to include in RT
programs attempting to induce increases in BMD.
16000838, 2004, 1, Downloaded from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1600-0838.2003.00328.x by Pontificia Universidade Catolica De Goias, Wiley Online Library on [07/12/2023]. See the Terms and Conditions (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/terms-and-conditions) on Wiley Online Library for rules of use; OA articles are governed by the applicable Creative Commons License
at skeletal maturity, then perhaps significant reduc-
tions in fracture risk may occur in later years.
Additional studies are needed to examine the effects
of the combination of RT with other exercise
regimens or other treatment strategies on regional
BMD in older people.

Key words: exercise, aging, osteoporosis, strength,

Perspective
The high fracture risk in the elderly, especially in
women, should intensify the development of strate-
gies to reduce this risk. Exercise, including RT, is
often recommended to provide loading forces as
components of the osteogenic response in the
prevention of osteoporosis. In the present study, a
6-month RT program increases BMD in the femoral
region in young and older men and women as a
group. If young men and women can increase BMD
menopause.
Acknowledgements
Our appreciation is extended to the participants in the study
and to Andrew P. Goldberg (MD) for support. This study was
supported by funds from: NIH grant KO1-A600747 (ASR);
NIH training grant 1T32-AG00219 (FMI and JTL); Ger-
iatrics & Gerontology Education and Research Program at
the University of Maryland, Baltimore, the Department of
Veterans Affairs; and Contract N01-AG-4-2148 from the
National Institute of Aging, NIH.

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