Effects of Different Exercise Types on Bone Health in Older Veterans
Anabolic Versus Catabolic Skeletal Effects of Endurance or Resistance Exercise in Older Veterans
This study tests how different types of exercise, like lifting weights and running, can affect bone health in older veterans aged 60 to 80.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 120 (estimated) |
| Ages | 60 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | VA Office of Research and Development Federal |
| Locations | 1 site (Aurora, Colorado) |
| Trial ID | NCT05266976 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This study investigates how resistance and endurance exercise affect bone health in older veterans. It aims to determine whether resistance exercise leads to similar increases in bone resorption as endurance exercise and how exercise training influences these changes. The study will involve 60 healthy veterans aged 60-80, who will participate in 10 weeks of supervised resistance or endurance exercise training. Blood markers related to bone resorption and formation will be measured to assess the impact of these exercise modalities.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal candidates for this study are healthy older veterans aged 60 and above who are normally active.
Not a fit: Patients with impaired renal function, liver disease, thyroid dysfunction, or uncontrolled hypertension may not benefit from this study.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this study could provide insights into optimizing exercise regimens to improve bone health and prevent osteoporosis in older adults.
How similar studies have performed: While there is existing research on exercise and bone health, this study's specific focus on comparing resistance and endurance exercise in older veterans is relatively novel.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Healthy older (60+ y) Veteran women and men in the Denver Metro Area * Normally active (e.g., recreational cycling or walking exercise) Exclusion Criteria: * Impaired renal function, defined as an eGRF of \<60 mL/min/1.73m2 * Hepatobiliary disease, defined as liver function tests (AST, ALT) \>1.5 times the upper limit of normal * Thyroid dysfunction, defined as an ultrasensitive thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) \<0.5 or \>5.0 mU/L * Serum Ca \<8.5 or \>10.3 mg/dL * Serum 25(OH)D \<20 ng/mL * Uncontrolled hypertension, defined as resting systolic blood pressure (BP) \>150 mmHg or diastolic BP \>90 mmHg; * History of type 1 or type 2 diabetes * Cardiovascular disease, defined as subjective or objective indicators of ischemic heart disease (e.g., angina, ST segment depression) or serious arrhythmias at rest or during the graded exercise test (GXT). Volunteers who have a positive GXT can be re-considered after follow-up evaluation, which must include diagnostic testing (e.g., stress echocardiogram or thallium stress test) with interpretation by a cardiologist * Anemia, defined as a serum hemoglobin \<12.1 g/dL for women and \<14.3 g/dL for men * Fracture in the past 6 months * Current diagnosis or symptoms of COVID-19 In the event of abnormal BP, live function, TSH, 25(OH)D, or hemoglobin values, volunteers can be reassessed, including after appropriate follow-up evaluation and treatment by a primary care provider. Those who have experienced symptoms of COVID-19 or have been formally diagnosed will be allowed to participate once symptoms have resolved and they are approved to return to exercise by their primary care provider.
Where this trial is running
Aurora, Colorado
- Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center, Aurora, CO — Aurora, Colorado, United States (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Sarah J Wherry, PhD — Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center, Aurora, CO
- Study coordinator: Sarah J Wherry, PhD
- Email: sarah.wherry@va.gov
- Phone: (720) 848-6475
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.