Effects of exercise training with weighted vests on bone turnover and isokinetic strength in postmenopausal women.

The effects of 12 wk of exercise training using weighted vests on bone turnover and isokinetic strength were evaluated in postmenopausal women randomly assigned as exercisers (EX; n = 9) or controls (CON; n = 7). Training included 3 multimodal exercise sessions per wk wearing weighted vests. The vest load was progressively increased each wk to a maximum of 15% of body weight. Bone turnover was determined from resting levels of serum osteocalcin and NTx. Knee and ankle strength were measured at 60°/s and 180°/s using an isokinetic dynamometer. After 12 wk, NTx decreased by 14.5% (P ≤ .05) in EX, with no significant changes in osteocalcin. EX also showed a 40% (P ≤ .05) improvement in ankle plantar-flexion strength at 60°/s. Relative body fat significantly decreased and fat-free mass increased in EX. Exercise compliance was 80%. These findings support the use of progressive exercise training using weighted vests in postmenopausal women.