Exercise and bone mineral density in men: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Area of Science:

• Exercise science
• Bone health research
• Gerontology

Background:

• Bone mineral density (BMD) is a critical indicator of bone health, particularly in men.
• Osteoporosis and related fractures pose significant public health challenges.
• Exercise interventions are explored for their potential to improve or maintain BMD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To meta-analytically evaluate the impact of ground and/or joint reaction force exercise on femoral neck (FN) and lumbar spine (LS) BMD in men.
• To synthesize evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to inform exercise recommendations for male bone health.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs with a minimum duration of 24 weeks.
• Calculation and pooling of standardized effect sizes (g) using random-effects models.
• Assessment of heterogeneity using Q and I(2) statistics; significance set at p ≤ 0.05.

Main Results:

• A statistically significant moderate improvement in femoral neck BMD (g=0.583, p=0.04) was observed across 187 participants.
• A small, non-significant trend towards improvement was noted for lumbar spine BMD (g=0.190, p=0.10) in 275 participants.
• Results were robust to sensitivity analyses, including influence analysis.

Conclusions:

• Current evidence is insufficient to recommend ground and/or joint reaction force exercise for enhancing or preserving FN and LS BMD in men.
• Further high-quality, well-designed RCTs are necessary to establish definitive recommendations for exercise interventions targeting male bone density.