Physical exercise is an important stimulus for osteoporosis prevention and treatment. However, it is not clear yet which modality would be better to stimulate bone metabolism and enhance physical function of postmenopausal women. This review paper aims to summarize and update present knowledge on the effects of different kinds of aquatic and ground physical exercises on bone metabolism and physical function of postmenopausal women. Moderate to intense exercises, performed in a high speed during short intervals of time, in water or on the ground, can be part of a program to prevent and treat postmenopausal osteoporosis. Mechanical vibration has proven to be beneficial for bone microarchitecture, improving bone density and bone strength, as well as increasing physical function. Although impact exercises are recognized as beneficial for the stimulation of bone tissue, other variables such as muscle strength, type of muscle contraction, duration and intensity of exercises are also determinants to induce changes in bone metabolism of postmenopausal women. Not only osteoanabolic exercises should be recommended; activities aimed to develop muscle strength and body balance and improve the proprioception should be encouraged to prevent falls and fractures. Arq Bras Endocrinol Metab. 2014;58(5):514-22

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Low-intensity vibration improved balance, motility, and muscle strength in the upper and lower limbs in postmenopausal women.

Objective To present an updated and evidence-based guideline for the use of dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to assess body composition in clinical practice. Materials and methods This Official Position was developed by the Scientific Committee of the Brazilian Association of Bone Assessment and Metabolism (Associação Brasileira de Avaliação Óssea e Osteometabolismo, ABRASSO) and experts in the field who were invited to contribute to the preparation of this document. The authors searched current databases for relevant publications in the area of body composition assessment. In this second part of the Official Position, the authors discuss the interpretation and reporting of body composition parameters assessed by DXA and the use of DXA for body composition evaluation in special situations, including evaluation of children, persons with HIV, and animals. Conclusion This document offers recommendations for the use of DXA in body composition evaluation, including indications, interpretation, and applications, to serve as a guiding tool in clinical practice and research for health care professionals in Brazil.

We investigated the effects of estrogen therapy (ET) associated with low‐intensity and high‐frequency mechanical vibration (MV) on bone tissue in osteopenic female mice. Fifty 3‐month‐old female Swiss mice were ovariectomized (OVX) or sham‐operated, and distributed after 4 months into the following groups, with 10 animals per group: Sham; Control, OVX + vehicle solution; MV, OVX + MV; ET, OVX + 17β‐estradiol; and MV + ET, OVX + MV and 17β‐estradiol. Both vehicle solution and 17β‐estradiol (10 μg kg−1 day−1) were injected subcutaneously 7 days per week, and vibration (0.6 g, 60 Hz) was delivered 30 min per day, 5 days per week. Bone mineral density (BMD) and body composition were evaluated by densitometry at baseline and after 60 days of treatment when the animals were euthanized, and their femurs underwent histomorphometric and histochemical analyses. The Control group showed increased weight and fat percentage, while the ET and MV + ET groups showed increased lean mass but decreased fat percentage. At the end of the treatment period, the BMD decreased in Control, remained constant in Sham and MV, and increased in ET and MV + ET. The MV + ET group showed the greatest bone volume compared with Sham (129%), Control (350%), MV (304%) and ET (14%). No differences occurred in cortical thickness. The Control group showed the highest content of mature collagen fibers, while the MV + ET group showed the highest content of immature collagen fibers. In conclusion, ET plus MV was effective in improving bone quality in osteopenic female mice, and this improvement is associated with specific changes in trabecular but not cortical bone.