The effect of exercise and estrogen on osteoprotegerin in premenopausal women

• Published in: Bone (New York, N.Y.) Vol. 44; no. 1; pp. 137 - 144
• Main Authors: West, Sarah L, Scheid, Jennifer L, De Souza, Mary Jane
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Inc 01.01.2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Amenorrhea; Biological and medical sciences; Bone Density - drug effects; Bone resorption; Bone Resorption - blood; Bone Resorption - urine; Cross-Sectional Studies; Demography; Estrogen deficiency; Estrogens - metabolism; Estrone - analogs & derivatives; Estrone - urine; Exercise; Exercise - physiology; Female; Female genital diseases; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; Medical sciences; Menstrual Cycle - blood; Menstrual Cycle - drug effects; Menstrual Cycle - urine; Non tumoral diseases; Orthopedics; Osteoprotegerin; Osteoprotegerin - blood; Pregnanediol - analogs & derivatives; Pregnanediol - urine; Premenopause - blood; Premenopause - drug effects; Premenopause - urine; Skeleton and joints; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Vertebrates: osteoarticular system, musculoskeletal system; Bone resorption; Amenorrhea; Exercise; Estrogen deficiency; Osteoprotegerin; Human; Physical exercise; Menstruation disorders; Deficiency; Estrogen; Female genital diseases; Morphology; Orthopedics; Woman
• ISSN: 8756-3282; 1873-2763
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bone.2008.09.008

Abstract Background The benefits of exercise are widely recognized, however physically active women can develop exercise associated menstrual cycle disturbances such as amenorrhea (i.e., estrogen deficiency) secondary to a chronic energy deficiency. Objective To assess the effects of exercise status and estrogen deficiency on osteoprotegerin (OPG) and its relationship to bone resorption in premenopausal exercising women. Design Cross-sectional study of serum OPG, urinary c-telopeptides (uCTX), urinary estrone 3-glucuronide (E1G), urinary pregnanediol 3-glucuronide (PdG) and bone mineral density (BMD) measured on multiple occasions in 67 women. Volunteers were retrospectively grouped: 1) sedentary menstruating group (SedMen n = 8), 2) exercising menstruating group (ExMen, n = 36), and 3) exercising amenorrheic group (ExAmen, n = 23). One-way ANOVAs were performed, and LSD post-hoc tests were performed when differences were detected. Results Subjects were similar with respect to age (24.2 ± 1.0 years), weight (57.8 ± 1.7 kg), and height (164.3 ± 1.3 cm) ( p > 0.05). ExMen and ExAmen groups were more aerobically fit ( p = 0.003) and had less body fat ( p = 0.002) than the SedMen group. Resting energy expenditure/fat free mass was lowest ( p = 0.001) in the ExAmen groups. Mean E1G across the measurement period ( p < 0.001) and overall E1G exposure as assessed by E1G area under the curve (AUC) ( p < 0.001) were lower in the ExAmen group vs. the SedMen and ExMen groups. U-CTX-I was elevated ( p = 0.033) in the ExAmen group (281.8 ± 40.3 μg/L/mmCr), compared with the SedMen and ExMen groups (184.5 ± 22.4, 197.2 ± 14.7 μg/L/mmCr, respectively). OPG was suppressed ( p = 0.005) in the ExAmen group (4.6 ± 0.2 pmol/L) vs. ExMen group (5.2 ± 0.2 pmol/L), and OPG was lower in the SedMen group (4.1 ± 0.3 pmol/L) compared with the ExMen group. Findings were translated to BMD; the ExAmen group had suppressed total body BMD ( p = 0.014) and L2–L4 BMD ( p = 0.015) vs. the ExMen group. Conclusions Our results suggest that OPG responds to the bone loading effect of exercise, and that suppressed OPG may play a role in the etiology of increased bone resorption observed in exercising women with chronic estrogen deficiency secondary to hypothalamic amenorrhea.