INTRODUCTION: Physical activity has well established benefits on bone mechanical proprieties and is a non-pharmacological treatment strategy of bone weakening pathologies where given loading stress promotes adaptive responses that enhance bone strengthening. OBJECTIVE: to investigate the effect of high-impact exercise training protocols with different durations and weekly frequencies on bone mechanical proprieties of female Wistar rats. METHODS: fifty-four female Wistar rats, 10 weeks old, were divided into six groups (n=9 each): GCI (four week sedentary group, control), GTI3 (trained three times per week, four weeks), GTI5 (trained five times per week, four weeks), GCII (eight week sedentary group, control), GTII3 (trained three times per week, eight weeks) and GTII5 (trained five times per week, eight weeks). The high-impact training protocol was based on the completion of 10 vertical jumps by the animals per session. RESULTS: Bone mechanical proprieties in the groups that trained with higher weekly frequency for longer periods had greater maximum strength and stiffness when compared with the animals that trained less. CONCLUSIONS: the present results indicate that performance of high-impact training protocol has beneficial effects on bone mechanical proprieties, even with low weekly frequency, suggesting hence, that for bone gain, daily work volume is not necessary; however, for greater result, daily exercise does present better outcome.
physical activity; mechanical testing; bone tissue
