Research article - (2020)19, 237 - 244 |
Nordic Walking Increases Distal Radius Bone Mineral Content in Young Women |
Takeru Kato1,4,, Toru Tomioka2, Takenori Yamashita3, Hidehiro Yamamoto1, Yasuhiro Sugajima1, Norikazu Ohnishi5 |
ABSTRACT |
Unlike the lumbar spine and femur, the radius does not bear a gravitational mechanical compression load during daily activities. The distal radius is a common fracture site, but few studies have addressed the effects of exercise on fracture risk. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of the pole push-off movement of Nordic walking (NW) on the bone mineral content (BMC) and areal bone mineral density (aBMD) of the distal radius and the muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) at the mid-humeral and mid-femoral levels. The participants were allocated to two groups: an NW group and a control group. The NW group walked at least 30 min with NW poles three times a week for six months. There were no significant changes in muscle CSA at the mid-humeral or mid-femoral levels between or within groups. There were also no significant changes in BMC or aBMD at 1/3 and 1/6 of the distance from the distal end of the radius in either group. However, the BMC and aBMD at 1/10 of the distance from the distal end of the radius were significantly increased by NW. The NW pole push-off movement provided effective loading to increase the osteogenic response in the ultra-distal radius. The ground reaction forces transmitted through the poles to the radius stimulated bone formation, particularly in the ultra-distal radius. |
Key words: Non-weight-bearing bone, muscle cross-sectional area, ground reaction force, dual energy x-ray absorptiometry, magnetic resonance imaging |
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