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Abstract
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Introduction: Osteopenia is a bone metabolic disorder that is related to factors such as low physical activity, diet quality, and insufficient intake of calcium and vitamin D. The present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the effect of combined exercise along with functional electrical stimulation on serum levels of calcium and vitamin D in postmenopausal women with osteopenia.
Method: In this experimental study, 45 women with osteopenia (-1 < T-score <-2.5), with an average age of 61.25±4.1 years, were randomly selected and divided into 3 groups: exercise (ME), exercise + electrical stimulation (ME+ ES) and control The ME and ME+ES groups participated in combined aerobic (40-70% HRR) and resistance training for 12 weeks, 3 days a week, 90 minutes per session. The ME+ES group received electrical stimulation with a two-channel STIMULATOR 620 P (NOVIN) device, type Fes, during 12 sessions, for 15 minutes, with a frequency of 45 Hz, a pulse of 300 microseconds, to the paraspinal area. Statistical analysis of the data was performed using ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc test (at the significance level of P<0.05).
Results: The results showed that after 12 weeks of the research protocol, the level of Ca did not change significantly in the groups (P<0.05). While serum levels of D3 increased significantly in both intervention groups (EX and EX+ES) compared to the control group (p=0.002).
Conclusion: Using combined exercise alone and with electrical stimulation can be useful in improving vitamin D levels and preventing osteoporosis in women with osteopenia. Meanwhile, electrical stimulation did not have a synergistic effect in improving D3 levels, and future studies using electrical stimulation with greater intensity and duration are needed.
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