Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of physical activity (PA) and estrogen therapy (ET) upon bone mass at the 1/3 and 4 mm distal radial sites in 50 postmenopausal females. The Ss (age = 57.4 +/- 5.4 yrs) completed: 1) activity and gynecological surveys, 2) Balke treadmill tests (85 of age determined HR), and 3) single photon absorptiometry measurements of the radius. The activity surveys and treadmill tests were used to categorize Ss into high (8.5 METs or greater, n = 27) and low (6.0 METs or less, n = 23) physical activity groups (HPA/LPA), and the gynecological surveys were used to distinguish Ss who were on estrogen therapy (n = 17) and those who had never been on estrogen therapy (n = 33). Data revealed the HPA group had significantly higher BMC and BMC/BW at the 1/3 distal radial site than the LPA group but were not significantly different at the 4 mm distal site. The ET group had a significantly higher bone mass than the never on ET group for BMC/BW at the 4 mm site. It was concluded that high level physical activity (8.5 METs or greater) or estrogen therapy was helpful in reducing the risk of bone loss in postmenopausal women. Verf.-Referat