High Load Low Rep study in older women lasting 4 years

The idea of that progressive strength training with high load and low repetitions is behind a number of studies of longer duration.  A study by Cussler et. al. was reported in 2005 that looked looked at "exercise frequency and calcium intake" over four years in 167 older women postmenopause who were randomized into two groups: exercise or control.  The exercise was two sets of 6-8 reps at 70-80% of max, three times per week.  Although the control group was not asked to exercise initially, they were allowed to start the exercise program after a year and many did.  The final numbers were 23 controls, 55 3-year exercisers, and 89 4-year exercisers.  BMD was measured at baseline and annually.  The study results support the idea that long term strength training is useful to prevent osteoporosis in older women.

Exercise frequency and calcium intake predict 4-year bone changes in postmenopausal women
Osteoporos International, 2005 Dec;16(12):2129-41. Epub 2005 Nov 10.
Cussler EC, Going SB, Houtkooper LB, Stanford VA, Blew RM, Flint-Wagner HG, Metcalfe LL, Choi JE, Lohman TG.  Department of Physiology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the association of exercise frequency and calcium intake (CI) with change in regional and total bone mineral density (BMD) in a group of postmenopausal women completing 4 years of progressive strength training. One hundred sixty-seven calcium-supplemented (800 mg/day) sedentary women (56.1+/-4.5 years) randomized to a progressive strength training exercise program or to control were followed for 4 years. Fifty-four percent of the women were using hormone therapy (HT) at baseline. At 1 year, controls were permitted to begin the exercise program (crossovers). The final sample included 23 controls, 55 crossovers, and 89 randomized exercisers. Exercisers were instructed to complete two sets of six to eight repetitions of exercises at 70-80% of one repetition maximum, three times weekly. BMD was measured at baseline and thereafter annually using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Four-year percentage exercise frequency (ExFreq) averaged 26.8%+/-20.1% for crossovers (including the first year at 0%), and 50.4%+/-26.7% for exercisers. Four-year total CI averaged 1,635+/-367 mg/day and supplemental calcium intake, 711+/-174 mg/day. In adjusted multiple linear regression models, ExFreq was positively and significantly related to changes in femur trochanter (FT) and neck (FN), lumbar spine (LS), and total body (TB) BMD. Among HT users, FT BMD increased 1.5%, and FN and LS BMD, 1.2% (p<0.01) for each standard deviation (SD) of percentage ExFreq (29.5% or 0.9 days/week). HT non-users gained 1.9% and 2.3% BMD at FT and FN, respectively, (p<0.05) for every SD of CI. The significant, positive, association between BMD change and ExFreq supports the long-term usefulness of strength training exercise for the prevention of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women, especially HT users. The positive relationship of CI to change in BMD among postmenopausal women not using HT has clinical implications in light of recent evidence of an increased health risk associated with HT.

Osteoporosis International in an international multi-discinplinary journal which is a joint initiative between the International Osteoporosis Foundation and the National Osteoporosis Foundation of the U.S.A.