ORIGINAL ARTICLE  EPIDEMIOLOGY AND CLINICAL MEDICINE Open access

The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness 2023 June;63(6):765-72

DOI: 10.23736/S0022-4707.23.14571-3

Copyright © 2023 THE AUTHORS

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lingua: Inglese

Effects of resistance training on bone mineral density and resting serum hormones in female collegiate distance runners: a randomized controlled pilot trial

Tetsuro KOBAYASHI ¹ ✉, Shotaro SEKI ², Inkwan HWANG ²

¹ Graduate School of Health and Sport Science, Nippon Sport Science University, Tokyo, Japan; ² Faculty of Sport Science, Nippon Sport Science University, Kanagawa, Japan

BACKGROUND: Studies report low bone mineral density (BMD) in female distance runners. We aimed to investigate changes in BMD and resting serum hormones, including dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) and estradiol (E2), before and after resistance training (RT) interventions in female collegiate distance runners.
METHODS: Fourteen female collegiate distance runners (age, 19.8±0.8 years) and 14 age-matched healthy young women as controls (age, 20.5±1.6 years) were included and divided into RT groups and controls (runner with RT, RRT; runner controls, RCON; non-athlete with RT, NRT; non-athlete controls, NCON). The RRT and NRT groups performed squats and deadlifts at 60-85% 1RM load for one session of five sets of five repetitions, twice a week for 16 weeks. BMD of the total body, lumbar spine L2-L4, and femoral neck was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scanning. Resting serum cortisol, adrenocorticotropic hormone, testosterone, growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor 1, DHEA-S, progesterone, E2, procollagen type I N-terminal propeptide (P1NP), and N-terminal telopeptide were assayed.
RESULTS: The results showed a significant increase in total body BMD in both the RRT and NRT (both P<0.05) groups. P1NP in the RRT group increased significantly after RT, and the increase was higher than in the RCON (P<0.05). Conversely, no significant changes were observed in resting blood hormone levels for all measurements in all groups (all P>0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that 16 weeks of RT in female collegiate distance runners may increase total body BMD.

KEY WORDS: Bone and bones; Female; Athletes; Relative energy deficiency in sport; Weight lifting