Importance of resisitance training to stave off Osteoperosis

RE: Importance of resisitance training to stave off Osteoperosis

Former Member — Sat, 31 May 2008 16:38:43 GMT

I am a physician(OK I'm a psychiatrist,but I went to medical school).I have read many places that swimming should not be sufficient for prevention of osteoporosis,but the only actual study I know of done on Masters Swimmers(in 1986 at the LCM Nats) showed in fact bone density in Masters Swimmers who swam only,had good bone density. You certainly have to wonder about some of the studies. If they were done on folks who move through the water at slightly above float speed, it would not surprise me to find that they have no improvement in bone density. However, as you swim faster it is well known that the resistance increases. Therefore, you will reach a point when you really are doing resistance work. Just from the feel alone (anecdotal information, of course), I can sense greater resistance from hard swimming than I get from normal stretch cord training. At the other extreme are the max weight lifts (2 X Leslie's body weight, or thereabouts).

RE: Importance of resisitance training to stave off Osteoperosis

Former Member — Sat, 31 May 2008 14:52:25 GMT

Your point is well taken. If you can get your walking friend to add resistance (by even a little bit) with a weight vest / ankle weights / wrist weights, etc., I think you'd be helping her get more "bang for the buck". As far as stretch-cords or surgical tubing is concerned; They are indeed a valuable resistance training tool. The following websites give you some pro's and con's of surgical tubing and some websites about dryland exercises for swimmers and athletes. Good luck, Coach T. www.fredysnet.com/id53.html www.revolutionhealth.com/.../resistance-bands A vulture boards an airplane, carrying two dead raccoons. The stewardess says, "I'm sorry, sir, only one carrion allowed per passenger." swimming.about.com/.../Dryland_Workouts_for_Swimmers.htm

RE: Importance of resisitance training to stave off Osteoperosis

Former Member — Sat, 31 May 2008 13:34:31 GMT

This study doesn't mention walking - some of us can't run or skip rope, for whatever reason. I have an elderly neighbor who walks for hours a day, because her doctor told her she was verging on osteoporosis - it must be working for her as she's been doing it for years. Perhaps a very small and lightweight person could increase the effect by wearing a weighted pack. If you wanted to bring the arms and shoulders into it, walking with something heavy in your hands, like grocery bags, might work. I wonder how stretch cord training stacks up to weight training for this purpose? I'm pretty sure that any form of weight training, seated or otherwise, would work. Seems to me it's muscles tugging on their attachments to the bone that does the thickening and strengthening. When archeologists are describing skeletal remains they always mention whether the ancient person in question was a manual laborer or not, based on how thick and rough the attachment points were.

RE: Importance of resisitance training to stave off Osteoperosis

Former Member — Sat, 31 May 2008 12:27:41 GMT

Everything I've read supports the need for men and women to use resisitance / weight training to help them improve or maintain skelatal health. Menopausal women and men who have Osteopenia are more prone to acquire Osteoperosis. There have been many studies that also show that weight bearning exercises / weight training can improve muscular grown at any age. So the real message is, get you and your loved ones motivated to add weight training to their cardiovascular workouts ( they go hand in hand ). So, swimming is great but when you add a regime of weight training onto a wonderful cardiovascular exercise, the quality of your life now and in the future only gets brighter. Good luck, Coach T. Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly, so they lit a fire in the craft. Unsurprisingly it sank, proving once again that you can't have your kayak and heat it too.

RE: Importance of resisitance training to stave off Osteoperosis

Former Member — Fri, 30 May 2008 16:13:15 GMT

I'm emailing to see if weight training / resistance training and impact activities are to be implied as to be part of that category. I would think so.

RE: Importance of resisitance training to stave off Osteoperosis

Former Member — Fri, 30 May 2008 15:04:21 GMT

As summarized the report recommended activities like running, jogging and rope jumping not weight lifting... I'm not saying the gym isn't effective, just that that is not what the cited study said.

RE: Importance of resisitance training to stave off Osteoperosis

Former Member — Fri, 30 May 2008 14:21:43 GMT

Tom, the study you cited dealt with the importance of impact not resistance, no?

RE: Importance of resisitance training to stave off Osteoperosis

Chris Stevenson — Fri, 30 May 2008 11:08:27 GMT

The study seems to indicate that low-impact exercise is not enough to stave off the effects of Osteoperosis. In order you truely have the best chance to minimize the effects, a resistance training regimine must be included. Since cycling and swimming are my main forms of aerobic exercise, I was concerned about this and asked my doctor (Jim Miller). He said that the exercise must be weight-bearing to be effective in this context. So, for example, seated bicep curls might not help increase bone density even though it is resistance training. Would it be helped by increased calcium intake? Jim seemed to think so, though he cautioned not to mix calcium with vitamin C (which interferes with calcium absorption).

RE: Importance of resisitance training to stave off Osteoperosis

pwolf66 — Fri, 30 May 2008 10:56:13 GMT

RE: Importance of resisitance training to stave off Osteoperosis

Allen Stark — Fri, 30 May 2008 10:54:59 GMT

RE: Importance of resisitance training to stave off Osteoperosis

Former Member — Fri, 30 May 2008 08:44:22 GMT

Terse??? -Yikes, not terse!!! I thought it was rather simple to infer or induce from the study that impact and weight bearing exercises included weight training or resistance training. For example, jumping rope (impact activity) with a weighted vest is in essence, weight training or resistance training. I hope we’re all on the same page – skeletal health can be improved. The Foundation For Osteoperosis Research Education (FORE) is a wonderful source of information on the topic if you're interested to learn more. The horse is dying but I'll try to give it the coup de grace with this; Most, if not all studies or research, are drawn from past information. My inference should not have detracted from the thread but alas it has. Two fish swim into a concrete wall. The one turns to the other and says "Dam!" Coach T.

RE: Importance of resisitance training to stave off Osteoperosis

Former Member — Fri, 30 May 2008 08:12:38 GMT

Like Dan I'm not a doctor so can only comment based on my recollection of things I've read. I'm pretty sure the process of maintaining density is considerably more complicated than impacts packing the bones to a greater density. Like most things in the body the maintenance of bones is a complicated homeostatic system with constant adding to and taking away from the bones and with various hormones and such involved in regulating the process to maintain balance. It is possible that those hormones act at least in part globally so that bone density is increased throughout the body even where the stress is local. Depending on the exact mechanisms it could very well be the case that five minutes of rope skipping every day is more effective than hours of low impact resistance training but who knows without a study to cite that says so. Again, my only real point was that the study cited should relate to the recommendation made! Not to pick on you coach but your latest reply is too terse to know what conclusions to draw! :2cents:

RE: Importance of resisitance training to stave off Osteoperosis

Former Member — Fri, 30 May 2008 07:52:22 GMT

What about the added resistance of pushing through the water? First of all - I am not a physician nor trained specifically in these topics. So whatever I write here is based on reading I have done. I think the resistance of pushing through the water is minimal - even though we swimmers may sometimes think we're swimming in jello. There is almost no impact at all in swimming like there is in running. We do almost nothing in the water that could truly be considered weight bearing. For Redbird - I think bone density is lost over time all over the body. One reason elderly break bones is the loss of bone density. I suppose you're correct - duplicating for the upper body what running does for the lower body might require something like boxing. But I also think loss of bone density is most significant with legs because they bear the weight of the body in normal life. So perhaps it simply isn't as important to worry about bone density in the arms.

RE: Importance of resisitance training to stave off Osteoperosis

Former Member — Fri, 30 May 2008 06:55:17 GMT

From the horses mouth. Yes, or at least prevent age-related loss. Pamela S. Hinton, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Nutritional Sciences 106 McKee Gym Columbia, MO 65211 phone: (573) 882-4137 FAX: (573) 884-4885

RE: Importance of resisitance training to stave off Osteoperosis

Former Member — Fri, 30 May 2008 05:26:56 GMT

I believe the weight bearing nature of running and similar activities is critical. It is not muscle load per se. Running causes impact on every stride. The bone structure is "pounded" over and over. I think is why bone density improves. The bones are literally being pounded into a more dense structure. Swimming and cycling don't have those characteristics. We push the wall on every start and turn but in a 3000 yd short course workout that is only 120 starts/turns. Plus we are pushing less weight since water relieves much of the mass. BTW - that very same quality of running is somewhat offset by the wear and tear on cartilage and other moving body parts. It seems to me that the bone density of gymnasts would be spectacular - although very few adults are active gymnasts.

RE: Importance of resisitance training to stave off Osteoperosis

art_z — Fri, 30 May 2008 02:52:51 GMT

We push the wall on every start and turn but in a 3000 yd short course workout that is only 120 starts/turns. Plus we are pushing less weight since water relieves much of the mass. What about the added resistance of pushing through the water?

RE: Importance of resisitance training to stave off Osteoperosis

Redbird Alum — Fri, 30 May 2008 01:56:48 GMT

...I think is why bone density improves. The bones are literally being pounded into a more dense structure. ... If that is true, how would one go about ensuring no loss of density in the bones not directly "impacted" by running or jogging? I can see where most bones from the feet and legs up through the hips and perhaps even the base of the skull would be "impacted" in running and jogging. However, would one need to take up boxing, medicine ball throwning, or even golf to get impact in the upper extremities?

RE: Importance of resisitance training to stave off Osteoperosis

pwolf66 — Fri, 30 May 2008 01:39:12 GMT

As summarized the report recommended activities like running, jogging and rope jumping not weight lifting... I'm not saying the gym isn't effective, just that that is not what the cited study said. You're right, Lindsay, I've got weight training on the brain right now.