NON-WEIGHTBEARING EXERCISE MAY INCREASE LUMBAR SPINE BONE-MINERAL DENSITY IN HEALTHY POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN

Seven postmenopausal women exercised regularly at moderate intensities (60-80% of maximum heart rate) for eight months on bicycle ergometers . Evaluation of bone mineral density by dual photon absorptiometry rev ealed a significant (P < 0.01) + 3.55 +/- 1.43% (mean +/- SE) increase in lumbar spine density in the exercisers compared with the 2.44 +/- 0.81% decrease noted in seven sedentary controls. No significant diffe rence in change in femoral neck density was noted between the two grou ps (+2.51 +/- 2.10% v -0.74 +/- 0.72% for exercisers and controls, res pectively; P > 0.10). Dietary intake of calcium and vitamin D was simi lar in both groups, as was previous exposure to estrogen replacement t herapy. These data provide evidence of a prospective nature that non-w eightbearing exercise may be effective in reversing bone loss in healt hy postmenopausal women.