Researchers from Griffith University on the Gold Coast want to know if high-load resistance training can protect men from developing osteoporosis and debilitating fractures that can come from the brittle bone condition going undiagnosed.
The university is recruiting 100 men, aged over 50, for its gym-based testing over eight months at its Parkwood campus. Menzies Health Institute Queensland’s Belinda Beck said weights training had been proven to benefit post-menopausal women’s bone and muscle strength.
“Many clinicians still regard osteoporosis as a women’s disease and as a result men are diagnosed much less frequently than women and are treated even more rarely,” Professor Beck told The Senior.
“The irony is that men suffer a greater loss of independence and are at higher risk of death following an osteoporotic fracture.
“Men’s muscles are larger and they do tend to maintain muscle strength longer – but after the age of 70, the risk of osteoporotic fractures increases considerably for men.
“Although there are drugs available to improve bone strength, we have already shown with our women’s group that improvements can be made without the use of drugs by under- taking high load resistance exercise training.”
Participants in the LIFTMOR-M (Lifting Intervention for training Muscle and Osteoporosis Rehabilitation for Men) study will commit to twice weekly 30-minute super-vised training sessions for eight months.
“Our goal with LIFTMOR-M is to provide the evidence for an effective therapy for men,” Professor Beck said.
To find out more, contact doctoral candidate Amy Harding on 0410-616-596.
