Effects of Weight Bearing Exercises on Bone Mineral Density of the First-Year Privates by Quantitative Ultrasound
Supakajee Saengruang-Orn PhD1, Busabong Noola MD1
Affiliation : 1 Division of Academic Affair, Department of Radiology, Phramongkutklao College of Medicine, Bangkok, Thailand
Objective : To study the results of weight bearing exercises during the (cid:976)irst year of the active military service before and after
training by using quantitative ultrasound.
Materials and Methods : The authors measured bone mineral density [BMD], broadband ultrasonic attenuation [BUA], and speed
of sound [SOS] in which the measurement was focused in the right calcaneus by using quantitative ultrasound [QUS]. The sample
population was the (cid:976)irst-year draftees privates in the military service of the Service Company, Service Division, Directorate of Army
Transportation, Second group, in the year 2016. Measurement were taken twice, the (cid:976)irst one before the beginning of practicing
physical integrity and strength on the (cid:976)irst day of reporting and the second one was after six months of weight bearing exercises
by QUS, the Sahara Clinical Bone Sonometer; Hologic Inc., Bedford, MA, which have been veri(cid:976)ied for reliability.
Results : Forty-eight (cid:976)irst year privates in the military service of Service Company, Service Division, Directorate of Army Transportation,
second group, in 2016 had an higher average BMD (1.08±0.18 g/cm2) as compared to before training (0.49±0.18 g/cm2) (p-value
<0.001). This was consistent with the higher average BUA after training (after: 88.58±2.17 dB/MHz, before: 84.19±2.79 dB/MHz)
(p-value 0.039), and the higher average SOS after training (after: 1,577.62±24.09 m/s, before: 1,569.69±27.52 m/s) (p-value <0.001).
Conclusion : After six months training, the (cid:976)irst-year privates had higher BMD than before training. This indicates that the new
army private training program has a positive correlation with increased BMD, especially weight-bearing exercises such as running,
training exercise, playing football, and Sepa takraw, etc.
Keywords : Weight bearing, Privates, Training exercise, Bone mineral density
