BONE-MINERAL DENSITY RESPONSES TO HIGH-INTENSITY STRENGTH TRAINING INACTIVE OLDER WOMEN

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effects of high -intensity strength training on bone mineral density (BMD) of 34 non-e strogen-repleted, active women over 60 years of age. The study was des igned as a randomized, nonblinded trial in which subjects were stratif ied into rank-ordered pairs by level of physical activity, then random ly assigned into either a weight training (WT) or a control (CON) grou p. BMD of the spine (L2-L4), hip, and total body was assessed at 0, 6, and 12 months by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry. Group-by-time repe ated-measures ANOVA demonstrated no effect of weight training on BMD, despite marked gains in muscular strength for all exercises. The high- intensity weight training utilized in this study did not induce positi ve changes in BMD of the hip and spine of previously active, non-estro gen-repleted older women. However, the protocol was safe, enjoyable, a nd highly effective in increasing muscular strength.