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Six-Month Follow-Up after Effects of Resistance Training on Osteosarcopenia in Postmenopausal Korean Women (ERTO-K
Byung Chan Lee1, Juhyun Lee2, Kang Hee Cho2,3
1Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, College of Medicine, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Introduction:
Sarcopenia and osteosarcopenia are increasingly prevalent among older adults. Exercise and nutritional support are key non-pharmacological treatments; however, their benefits may diminish after discontinuation. This study investigated the effects of a 6-month detraining period following a 6-month exercise program in postmenopausal Korean women with osteosarcopenia.
Methods:
This study is a 6-month follow-up of an assessor-blinded randomized controlled trial (ERTO-K study). A total of 33 postmenopausal women with osteosarcopenia (mean age, 75.9 ± 5.2 years) who had completed a 6-month intervention were included. Osteosarcopenia was defined as osteopenia or osteoporosis based on WHO criteria and sarcopenia according to the AWGS 2019 guidelines. Participants were originally assigned to either progressive resistance exercise (RE group, n = 17) or home exercise (HE group, n = 16). Outcomes were assessed at the end of the intervention and after 6 months of detraining, including skeletal muscle index (SMI), handgrip strength (HGS), Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), Berg Balance Test (BBT), 4-meter gait speed, 5 times chair stand test, Muscle Quality Index (MQI), and bone mineral density (BMD).
Results:
During the 6-month detraining period, no significant changes in SMI were observed. In contrast, lumbar spine BMD significantly decreased in both groups (RE: -0.014 g/cm2; HE: -0.017 g/cm2), and femoral neck BMD decreased in the RE group. HGS significantly decreased (RE: -2.28 kg; HE: -3.45 kg; both p < 0.001), as did 4-meter gait speed (RE: -0.27 m/s; HE: -0.20 m/s; both p < 0.001). The BBT score showed a small but significant decrease in the RE group, while no significant change was observed in the HE group. No significant changes were observed in SPPB score, 5 times chair stand time, or MQI.
Conclusion:
After 6 months of detraining, declines in muscle strength and gait speed were observed, while SMI remained unchanged and BMD decreased at specific sites. These findings suggest that functional measures and muscle strength may be more practical indicators for monitoring early changes during detraining than muscle mass.
