BRISK WALKING REDUCES CALCANEAL BONE LOSS IN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN

1. This study examined the influence of brisk walking on skeletal stat us in post-menopausal women. 2. Subjects were 84 healthy women aged 60 -70 years who were previously sedentary and at least 5 years post-meno pausal. Subjects were randomly assigned to walking (n = 43) and contro l (n = 41) groups. Walkers followed a 12-month, largely unsupervised p rogramme of brisk walking. The bone mineral density of the lumbar spin e, femoral neck and calcaneus and broadband ultrasonic attention of th e calcaneus were measured at baseline and after 12 months, 3. Forty co ntrol subjects and 38 walkers completed the study, Walkers built up to 20.4 +/- 3.8 min/day (mean +/- SD) of brisk walking, Body mass increa sed in control subjects relative to walkers [mean change (SE) + 0.9 (0 .3) and - 0.1 (0.3) kg respectively; P = 0.04], Predicted maximum oxyg en uptake increased in walkers by 2.1 (0.9) ml min(-1) kg(-1) (P = 0.0 2), Bone mineral density in the lumbar spine and calcaneus fell in con trol subjects [- 0.005 (0.004) and - 0.010 (0.004) g/cm(2), respective ly] but not in walkers [+ 0.006 (0.004) and + 0.001 (0.004) g/cm(2)]. The difference in response between groups was significant in the calca neus (P = 0.04) but not in the lumbar spine (P = 0.08), Mean femoral n eck bone mineral density did not change significantly in either group, although changes in walkers were related to the amount df walking com pleted (r = 0.51, P = 0.001). The change in broadband ultrasonic atten uation of the calcaneus differed between groups [control subjects, - 3 .7 (0.8); walkers, - 0.7 (0.8) dB/MHz; P = 0.01], 4. Walking decreased bone loss in the calcaneus and possibly in the lumbar spine. It also improved functional capacity and enabled walkers to avoid the increase in body mass seen in control subjects.