Effects of Weight Cycling and Diet on Bone Health in Rats
Author Information
Author(s): Bogden John D, Kemp Francis W, Huang Abigail E, Shapses Sue A, Ambia-Sobhan Hasina, Jagpal Sugeet, Brown Ian L, Birkett Anne M
Primary Institution: UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School
Hypothesis
Can a diet high in amylase-resistant starch prevent or reduce loss of bone mass during weight cycling?
Conclusion
Weight cycling reduces bone mass, but a diet high in RS2 can minimize this loss and may even increase bone mass without weight cycling.
Supporting Evidence
- Rats undergoing weight cycling had lower femur BMC and marginally lower BMD than those not undergoing weight cycling.
- Rats fed RS2 had higher femur BMD and BMC compared to controls.
- RS2-fed rats also had higher femur calcium and magnesium concentrations.
Takeaway
When rats lose and gain weight a lot, they can lose bone strength, but feeding them a special type of starch can help keep their bones strong.
Methodology
Female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into six groups and fed either a calcium-deficient diet or a diet high in RS2 while undergoing different weight cycling protocols over 21 weeks.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the controlled environment and specific dietary formulations that may not reflect typical human diets.
Limitations
The study was conducted in rats, which may not fully represent human responses to weight cycling and dietary changes.
Participant Demographics
Female Sprague-Dawley rats, aged 20 weeks.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.01 for BMD, p<0.05 for BMC
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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