Resistance Exercise Programme on Risk of OA and OP in Females
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Effects of a Resistance Exercise Programme on Risk of Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis in Females (REPROOF)
IRAS ID
304156
Contact name
Katherine Brooke-Wavell
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Loughborough University
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 9 months, 31 days
Research summary
Osteoarthritis (degenerative joint disease) and osteoporosis (weak and fragile bones) are common conditions, particularly in women after menopause, and become even more common as we get older. Although osteoporosis and osteoarthritis take a long time to develop, it is possible to look at changes in risk using scans of bones and joints (DXA, pQCT, and MRI), blood and/or urine samples and symptoms.
Exercise has beneficial effects on risk factors for osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. Resistance training (for instance, lifting a weight) is recommended to prevent and manage both conditions. However, there is little and inconsistent evidence on the effects of exercise parameters (such as velocity) for the prevention of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, neither is there a comparison of different velocities on structural parameters and biomarkers. Thus, resistance exercise programmes with different parameters should be compared as regards their effect on various outcomes, including structural changes, bone mineral density and biomarkers.
Participants will be healthy postmenopausal women aged 50 to 70 years. All participants will visit the university for measurements at the beginning of the study (baseline) and after 16 and 32 weeks. They will have scans of bones and joints, measurements of strength and physical function, and questionnaires about lifestyle and demographic information.
Participants will be randomly assigned to one of the exercise or control groups using a block-randomisation technique. Two exercise groups will perform an exercise programme involving two supervised sessions per week at Loughborough University for the 30 weeks between testing weeks. Each session will last no longer than 60 minutes including 30-40 minutes of exercise and discussion/check-ups with participants. Velocity and loads will be different between exercise groups: one will lift a heavier weight more slowly, and one will lift a lighter weight more rapidly. The control group will maintain their usual lifestyle.
REC name
West Midlands - Solihull Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/WM/0059
Date of REC Opinion
30 Mar 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion