Long-term aerobic exercise and omega-3 supplementation modulate osteoporosis through inflammatory mechanisms in post-menopausal women: a randomized, repeated measures study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Evidence indicates that dietary fats and physical activity influence bone health. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of long-term aerobic exercise and omega-3 (N-3) supplementation on serum inflammatory markers, bone mineral density (BMD), and bone biomarkers in post-menopausal women.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Seventy-nine healthy sedentary post-menopausal women aged 58-78 years participated in this study. Subjects were randomized to one of 4 groups: exercise + supplement (E+S, n = 21), exercise (E, n = 20), supplement (S, n = 20), and control (Con, n = 18) groups. The subjects in the E+S and E groups performed aerobic exercise training (walking and jogging) up to 65% of HR_max, three times a week for 24 weeks. Subjects in the E+S and S groups consumed 1000 mg/d N-3 for 24 weeks. The lumbar spine (L₂-L₄) and femoral neck BMD, serum tumor necrosis factor (TNF) α, interleukin (IL) 6, prostaglandin (PG) E₂, estrogen, osteocalcin, 1, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃(1, 25 Vit D), C-telopeptide (CTX), parathyroid hormone (PTH) and calcitonin (CT) were measured at baseline, the end of week 12 and 24.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Serum estrogen, osteocalcin, 1, 25 Vit D, CT, L₂-L₄and femoral neck BMD measures increased (<it>P </it>< 0.05) and the serum CTX, PTH, TNF-α, IL-6, and PGE₂decreased (<it>P </it>< 0.05) in E + S group after the 24 wk intervention but not in the E or S intervention groups. L₂-L₄and femoral neck BMD, estrogen, osteocalcin, and CT were negatively (<it>P </it>< 0.05) correlated with TNF-α and PGE₂. PTH and CT were correlated positively and negatively with IL-6, respectively (<it>P </it>< 0.05).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The present study demonstrates that long-term aerobic exercise training plus N-3 supplementation have a synergistic effect in attenuating inflammation and augmenting BMD in post-menopausal osteoporosis.</p>