Development of a Novel Mechanistic Human Exercise Model for Bone
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Development of a Novel Mechanistic Human Exercise Model for Bone
IRAS ID
360451
Contact name
Alex Ireland
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Manchester Metropolitan University
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 6 months, 0 days
Research summary
One-in-two UK women and one-in-five men over 50 years will suffer a broken bone (fracture) due to osteoporosis (a disease where bone strength is reduced), with hip fractures alone costing the NHS £5.5bn/year. Rare side-effects mean that prescription rates of effective anti-osteoporosis treatments are dropping. Whilst studies comparing physically active with inactive people suggest that exercise can dramatically improve bone strength and could therefore be an alternative osteoporosis treatment strategy, results of current exercise trials are modest. A key reason for this is a lack of an established human exercise model for bone, which would allow us to understand how exercise factors such as exercise volume, intensity and timing, and participant factors including age and sex affect the impact of exercise. By asking participants to complete one-handed grip exercises, and comparing changes in the bone in exercised and non-exercised arms, we will create a novel, powerful, sensitive exercise method with less participant burden and greater compliance. We will use new handheld measurement devices which upload detail on every exercise repetition via smartphone, and a high-resolution bone scanner (the only one in the North-West) to gain detailed information about the impact of exercise on bone structure in unprecedented detail. We will recruit 20 adults to complete the 12-month exercise trial, with assessments at 3, 6, and 12 months. This new model will help transform our understanding of bone physiology including the impact of exercise on bone strength and help development and testing of new interventions to help prevent osteoporotic fractures.
REC name
South Central - Berkshire B Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
26/SC/0126
Date of REC Opinion
9 Jun 2026
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion