Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2020, Vol. 24 ›› Issue (35): 5582-5588.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.2095-4344.2918

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Changes of bone metabolism after different intensity endurance exercises in growing rats

Chen Zegang1, Ding Haili2, Li Long1, Wang Chun2   

  1. 1Graduate School, 2School of Sport and Health, Chengdu Sport University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China

  • Received:2020-01-14 Revised:2020-01-18 Accepted:2020-02-26 Online:2020-12-18 Published:2020-10-16
  • Contact: Ding Haili, PhD, Doctoral supervisor, Associate professor, School of Sport and Health, Chengdu Sport University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China
  • About author:Chen Zegang, PhD candidate, Associate professor, Graduate School, Chengdu Sport University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China
  • Supported by:

    the National Social Science Foundation of China (General Program), No. 19BTY124

Abstract:

BACKGROUND: With the development of society and the improvement of people's living standards, the health of adolescents who are being in a period of sensitive growth and development has attracted increasing attention. Exercise can improve bone metabolism, but less is reported on the effect of endurance exercise on bone metabolism in growing rats.            

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of different intensity endurance exercises on bone metabolism in growing rats.

METHODS: The experimental protocol was approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of the School of Sport and Health of Chengdu Sport University. After 1 week of adaptive training, 40 rats were randomly divided into three groups: quiet control group, low intensity endurance group, middle intensity endurance group and high intensity endurance group. The rats in the quiet control group were fed regularly without training intervention. The rats in the other three groups were trained, 60 minutes a day, 5 days per week, for 12 weeks. The maximum oxygen uptake test was conducted every 2 weeks, based on which the training load in the next 2 weeks was adjusted. The load intensity level in the main load period was defined as the percentage of maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max), which was 50%VO2max in the low intensity group, 65% VO2max in the middle intensity group and 80% VO2max in the high intensity group. Changes in bone density, bone structure and bone metabolism in each group were observed after exercise.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Compared with the quiet control group, there was a significant improvement in rat femoral density and whole body bone density in all the intensity groups after exercise (P < 0.05), and the high intensity group had better outcomes than the low intensity group and quiet control group (P < 0.01). There were significant differences in the low and middle intensity groups (P < 0.05) and extremely significant difference in the high intensity group (P < 0.01) before and after exercise. Compared with the quiet control group, trabecular bone area and levels of osteocalcin, alkaline phosphatase, and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase in bone tissue and serum of rats were significantly improved in the low and middle intensity groups (P < 0.05) and dramatically improved in the high intensity group (P < 0.01) after exercise. Moreover, the improvement was more significant in the high intensity group than the low and middle intensity groups (P < 0.05). These findings indicate that different intensity endurance exercises can improve the bone density, bone structure and bone metabolism indexes in bone tissue and serum indexes of growing rats, and promote the bone growth of growing rats. The high-intensity endurance exercise has the best effect.

Key words: bone mineral density, bone structure, bone metabolism, endurance exercise intervention, rat

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