Strength training for osteoporosis prevention during early menopause (STOP-EM): a pilot study protocol for a single centre randomised waitlisted control trial in Canada

Introduction Women lose up to 10% of their bone mass around menopause and the decade following. There is a need for proactive approaches to preserve bone mass and quality around menopause. Existing work has found that high-intensity resistance and impact training (HiRIT) can improve bone and muscle...

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Main Authors: Leigh Gabel, Lauren A Burt, Christina J Alexander, Leah Kaluta, Patrick W Whitman, Emma O Billington
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2025-02-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/2/e093711.full
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author Leigh Gabel
Lauren A Burt
Christina J Alexander
Leah Kaluta
Patrick W Whitman
Emma O Billington
author_facet Leigh Gabel
Lauren A Burt
Christina J Alexander
Leah Kaluta
Patrick W Whitman
Emma O Billington
author_sort Leigh Gabel
collection DOAJ
description Introduction Women lose up to 10% of their bone mass around menopause and the decade following. There is a need for proactive approaches to preserve bone mass and quality around menopause. Existing work has found that high-intensity resistance and impact training (HiRIT) can improve bone and muscle measures in late postmenopausal women. However, this has not been investigated in perimenopausal and early postmenopausal women who are in the midst of the menopausal transition.Methods and analysis This study is a 9-month randomised controlled feasibility trial evaluating a HiRIT programme in perimenopausal and early postmenopausal women. The primary objective of this study is to determine the feasibility of HiRIT in 40 perimenopausal and early postmenopausal women (45–60 years). Participants will be randomised 1:1 into a supervised HiRIT exercise intervention and waitlisted control. The primary outcomes are recruitment, retention and adherence to the exercise intervention. Secondary outcomes include bone (bone mineral density, microarchitecture and strength), muscle (mass, strength and power), physical function (balance and aerobic fitness) and quality of life measures. Feasibility will be assessed based on a priori criterion for success and secondary outcomes will be assessed via multiple linear regressions. The study will be considered feasible if>50% of interested and eligible participants are recruited, if there is>60% adherence to the two times per week, 9-month exercise intervention and if at least 65% of the sample complete the final study visit. Feasibility outcomes will be used to inform a larger, future trial aimed at identifying the efficacy of the exercise intervention for improving various health outcomes, including bone density and muscle mass. Secondary exploratory outcomes will provide insight into the effect of exercise on muscle and bone in perimenopausal and early postmenopausal women.Ethics and dissemination This study has been approved by the Conjoint Health Research Ethics Board of the University of Calgary REB22-1632. The results of this study will be disseminated at national and international conferences and published in academic journals.Trail registration number ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05961371. (Protocol V.1.2, 28 September 2023)
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spelling doaj-art-1d0b74aea57c47c3a98aa7e5bbe0d2752025-02-06T04:15:10ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552025-02-0115210.1136/bmjopen-2024-093711Strength training for osteoporosis prevention during early menopause (STOP-EM): a pilot study protocol for a single centre randomised waitlisted control trial in CanadaLeigh Gabel0Lauren A Burt1Christina J Alexander2Leah Kaluta3Patrick W Whitman4Emma O Billington5University of Calgary Faculty of Kinesiology, Calgary, Alberta, CanadaUniversity of Calgary McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health, Calgary, Alberta, CanadaUniversity of Calgary Faculty of Kinesiology, Calgary, Alberta, CanadaUniversity of Calgary Faculty of Kinesiology, Calgary, Alberta, CanadaUniversity of Calgary Faculty of Kinesiology, Calgary, Alberta, CanadaUniversity of Calgary McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health, Calgary, Alberta, CanadaIntroduction Women lose up to 10% of their bone mass around menopause and the decade following. There is a need for proactive approaches to preserve bone mass and quality around menopause. Existing work has found that high-intensity resistance and impact training (HiRIT) can improve bone and muscle measures in late postmenopausal women. However, this has not been investigated in perimenopausal and early postmenopausal women who are in the midst of the menopausal transition.Methods and analysis This study is a 9-month randomised controlled feasibility trial evaluating a HiRIT programme in perimenopausal and early postmenopausal women. The primary objective of this study is to determine the feasibility of HiRIT in 40 perimenopausal and early postmenopausal women (45–60 years). Participants will be randomised 1:1 into a supervised HiRIT exercise intervention and waitlisted control. The primary outcomes are recruitment, retention and adherence to the exercise intervention. Secondary outcomes include bone (bone mineral density, microarchitecture and strength), muscle (mass, strength and power), physical function (balance and aerobic fitness) and quality of life measures. Feasibility will be assessed based on a priori criterion for success and secondary outcomes will be assessed via multiple linear regressions. The study will be considered feasible if>50% of interested and eligible participants are recruited, if there is>60% adherence to the two times per week, 9-month exercise intervention and if at least 65% of the sample complete the final study visit. Feasibility outcomes will be used to inform a larger, future trial aimed at identifying the efficacy of the exercise intervention for improving various health outcomes, including bone density and muscle mass. Secondary exploratory outcomes will provide insight into the effect of exercise on muscle and bone in perimenopausal and early postmenopausal women.Ethics and dissemination This study has been approved by the Conjoint Health Research Ethics Board of the University of Calgary REB22-1632. The results of this study will be disseminated at national and international conferences and published in academic journals.Trail registration number ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05961371. (Protocol V.1.2, 28 September 2023)https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/2/e093711.full
spellingShingle Leigh Gabel
Lauren A Burt
Christina J Alexander
Leah Kaluta
Patrick W Whitman
Emma O Billington
Strength training for osteoporosis prevention during early menopause (STOP-EM): a pilot study protocol for a single centre randomised waitlisted control trial in Canada
BMJ Open
title Strength training for osteoporosis prevention during early menopause (STOP-EM): a pilot study protocol for a single centre randomised waitlisted control trial in Canada
title_full Strength training for osteoporosis prevention during early menopause (STOP-EM): a pilot study protocol for a single centre randomised waitlisted control trial in Canada
title_fullStr Strength training for osteoporosis prevention during early menopause (STOP-EM): a pilot study protocol for a single centre randomised waitlisted control trial in Canada
title_full_unstemmed Strength training for osteoporosis prevention during early menopause (STOP-EM): a pilot study protocol for a single centre randomised waitlisted control trial in Canada
title_short Strength training for osteoporosis prevention during early menopause (STOP-EM): a pilot study protocol for a single centre randomised waitlisted control trial in Canada
title_sort strength training for osteoporosis prevention during early menopause stop em a pilot study protocol for a single centre randomised waitlisted control trial in canada
url https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/2/e093711.full
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