Life in Space for Life on Earth, ESA, Triest, 2010;

Evidence for an additional effect of whole-body vibration above resistive exercise alone in preventing bone loss during prolonged bed-rest

Year: 2010

Belavy D, Beller G, Armbrecht G, Bock O, Börst H, Degner C, Gast U, Felsenberg D
Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, GERMANY

Abstract

Prior work suggests that the addition of whole-body vibration to high-load resistive exercise (RVE) may be more effective in preventing bone loss in spaceflight and its simulation (bed-rest) than resistive exercise alone (RE), though this hypothesis has not been tested in humans. Twenty-four male subjects as part of the 2nd Berlin BedRest Study (BBR2-2) performed RVE (n=7), RE (n=8) or no exercise (control, n=9) during 60-days head-down tilt bed-rest. The RVE group showed less bone loss at the tibia (pQCT) and proximal femur (DXA) than the RE group during and after bed-rest (FiY2.5, piu.0066). The RVE group also showed less bone loss in the leg (whole-body DXA) than the control group (F=2.6, p=.0039). The RE group showed marginally (non-significant) reductions of bone loss than the CTR group only at the tibial diaphysis and leg (whole body DXA). These regional differences between groups in bone loss during and after bed-rest were not reflected in changes in whole-body bone mass. The results provide evidence that (1) combinding whole-body vibration and high-load resistance exercise may be a more efficient than high-load resistive exercise alone in preventing bone loss during and after prolonged bed-rest and (2) the effects of exercise during bed-rest impact upon bone recovery up to three months afterwards.

Keywords: Galileo Space, Counter Measure, BBR 2
GID: 2295; Last update: 18.06.2010
More information: Original Article