Skeletal responses to an all-female unassisted Antarctic traverse

To investigate the skeletal effects of the first all-female trans-Antarctic traverse.

Six women (mean ± SD, age 32 ± 3 years, height 1.72 ± 0.07 m, body mass 72.8 ± 4.0 kg) hauled 80 kg sledges over 1700 km in 61 days from coast-to-coast across the Antarctic. Whole-body areal bone mineral density (aBMD) (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) and tibial volumetric BMD (vBMD), geometry, microarchitecture and estimated mechanical properties (high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography) were assessed 39 days before (pre-expedition) and 15 days after the expedition (post-expedition). Serum and plasma markers of bone turnover were assessed pre-expedition, and 4 and 15 days after the expedition.

There were reductions in trunk (-2.6%), ribs (-5.0%) and spine (-3.4%) aBMD from pre- to post-expedition (all P ≤ 0.046); arms, legs, pelvis and total body aBMD were not different (all P ≥ 0.075). Tibial vBMD, geometry, microarchitecture and estimated mechanical properties at the metaphysis (4% site) and diaphysis (30% site) were not different between pre- and post-expedition (all P ≥ 0.082). Bone-specific alkaline phosphatase was higher 15 days post- than 4 days post-expedition (1.7 μg∙l^-1, P = 0.028). Total 25(OH)D decreased from pre- to 4 days post-expedition (-36 nmol∙l^-1, P = 0.008). Sclerostin, procollagen 1 N-terminal propeptide, C-telopeptide cross-links of type 1 collagen and adjusted calcium were unchanged (all P ≥ 0.154).

A decline in aBMD of the axial skeleton may be due to indirect and direct effects of prolonged energy deficit. We propose that weight-bearing exercise was protective against the effects of energy deficit on tibial vBMD, geometry, microarchitecture and strength.