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Woman, calcium and bones

AllTheWay

AllTheWay

TID Lady Member
Mar 17, 2011
4,240
411
i want to start off with saying that this is not a scientific paper but rather just some thoughts after a discussion with my mom. she is 64 years old and has significant osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia. due to the fibromyalgia she has not been very active for over 30 years. she has recently been undergoing a bunch of doctor exams for spine problems and pain in her hands and hips.

i was speaking with her this morning and she was reading me the radiologist reports on her numerous x rays. it stated several times that she had significant osteopenia. i told her that that was bone loss and was the reason for taking calcium to prevent it. she told me that she had been taking caltrate for years based on the recommendation of my aunt who is an internal medicine specialist. she then wondered why if she was taking calcium supplementation would her bones be losing calcium.

i am a common sense sort of person. i am a big believer in research but it has to have some practical purpose to it for me to remain interested in it. in my profession it is important to be able to relate things in a practical way that people understand.

calcium is very very important for bodily function. one, it obviously is needed for boney growth, remodeling and support but it is also very important for muscle contraction. when one doesnt have enough calcium they will go into a tetnic state and have severe muscle tremors. muscle can not contract without calcium.

Summary of Events in Muscle Contraction and Relaxation

Arrival of motoneuron action potential
Synaptic transmission at neuromuscular junction
Action potential propagates along sarcolemma
Hypopolarization of T tubules
Ca++ released into sarcoplasm from sarcoplasmic reticulum
Ca++ bound by troponin

Cooperative configurational change in troponin and tropomyosin
Release of inhibition of myosin-ATPase
Link between thick and thin filaments, swivel of myosin head
Tension exerted
Shortening by sliding filament
Ca++ removed from sarcoplasm
Mg++ATP bound by actinomyosin
Cross-bridges disconnected
Actinomyosin-ATPase inhibited
Active tension disappears
Series elastic elements restore resting length

Chapter 14 - Muscle Contraction


another important thing in calcium regulation is vitamin D.

Vitamin D promotes calcium absorption in the gut and maintains adequate serum calcium and phosphate concentrations to enable normal mineralization of bone and to prevent hypocalcemic tetany. It is also needed for bone growth and bone remodeling by osteoblasts and osteoclasts [1,2]. Without sufficient vitamin D, bones can become thin, brittle, or misshapen. Vitamin D sufficiency prevents rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults [1]. Together with calcium, vitamin D also helps protect older adults from osteoporosis.
Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin D

so we have to have adequate calcium and vitamin D for bones to function properly and be healthy. so why is it that my mother has low bone density even though she has been taking caltrate which has both calcium and vit D?

my theory- in race horses there is a condition that very commonly affects young horses in training called bucked shins. it is fracture of the cannon bone, the cannon bone is the long bone between the horses foot and its knee. this occurs because as the horses are being conditioned they are often galloped around the track to get their lungs and muscles in shape. this puts many loading cycles on the bone. the more the horse gallops the more stress on the bone and the bone starts remodeling to hold up to the applied forces. the problem is that as soon as the horse has its first work or first race where they are asked to run, the bone then develops microfractures. it is very painful and often interrupts training. this happens because bone remodels to the forces put on it. these horses bones have remodeled for the load of a gallop but not the load of a run which is significantly more forceful. so how does this relate to my mom? haha well, because of the fibromyalgia, my mom has been pretty seditary for over 30 years. she sits at the computer most of the day and any work she does is not heavy or forceful in any way. she might have brief moments of lifting something but overall, she doesnt do much of anything like that. her bones have no expectation of any kind of force. because of this, the body is not taking any calcium to remodel her bones and make them stronger, why should it, there is no stimulus for it to do so. so even though she is taking the calcium her body isnt using it to make her bones stronger, it is using if for muscle contraction and then probably dumping the rest of it. i imagine it is also still drawing calcium from her bones to utilize as well, thereby causing further osteopenia. the vertebra in her back are deteriorating as well as her discs. but never has she done any lifting to signal her back and the bones that make it up to remodel and get stronger.

now this is just my common sense way of tying it all together. im not saying it is right but it makes sense to me. so why am i even writing this? well, to me it just confirms that every woman out there should be doing some sort of physical exercise and lifting weights should be part of it. not that they have to be out there building muscle and trying to get huge :D but rather they should be doing it to apply stress to their bones so that their bones stay active and continue to keep up on its calcium absorption.
 
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mugzy

mugzy

TID Board Of Directors
Aug 11, 2010
4,876
1,799
Great article ATW! I had no idea you were a writer.
 
AllTheWay

AllTheWay

TID Lady Member
Mar 17, 2011
4,240
411
Great article ATW! I had no idea you were a writer.

LOL im not! i was asked to boost the female section on another site so i have been just writing up random thoughts that float through my head when i can catch them :D

i know nothing about AAS in women so i ramble on about other things that i know or think about us women! :)
 
Rottenrogue

Rottenrogue

Strongwoman
Jan 26, 2011
6,595
1,882
Valid points.And it makes sense to me. I love hearing people tell me how bad for me heavy lifting is. I intend to stay active until I no longer can.While strongman may be a bit extreme there are other options when I can no longer do this.I will easily be in my 60's before I stop,if I have my way about it .
My plan of action is to drop down to NAHA which is a mixture of strongman and highland games with a bit lighter of weights.Or continue on in the womens masters class. I will not go easily into these classes though.
Activity is the key ! I am heavy and all my bloodwork comes back great.my pulse and blood pressure are athetic .For someone my size i should be diabetic with high blood pressure and a list of problems.
 
PillarofBalance

PillarofBalance

Strength Pimp
Feb 27, 2011
17,066
4,640
To be honest I clicked on this thread cause I saw women and bones in the title... Thought it was on Get Some's thread ;) but I'm glad I did. Good write up.

This sure as hell is another case for heavy ass deadlifts! lol - But I wonder in your mother's case with the fibromyalgia how would she have been able to add weight loads to her frame to get this effect?

I've been working pretty hard trying to get my mother to start using some sort of resistance training. She was very overweight, was diagnosed as a Type II diabetic and was given metformin... No longer takes the metformin, has lost a TON of weight, eats perfectly and goes for walks every day. But still no weights.
 
AllTheWay

AllTheWay

TID Lady Member
Mar 17, 2011
4,240
411
Valid points.And it makes sense to me. I love hearing people tell me how bad for me heavy lifting is. I intend to stay active until I no longer can.While strongman may be a bit extreme there are other options when I can no longer do this.I will easily be in my 60's before I stop,if I have my way about it .
My plan of action is to drop down to NAHA which is a mixture of strongman and highland games with a bit lighter of weights.Or continue on in the womens masters class. I will not go easily into these classes though.
Activity is the key ! I am heavy and all my bloodwork comes back great.my pulse and blood pressure are athetic .For someone my size i should be diabetic with high blood pressure and a list of problems.

you are so very right! and i agree wholeheartedly! i intend to still be working and working out 40 years from now :D
 
AllTheWay

AllTheWay

TID Lady Member
Mar 17, 2011
4,240
411
To be honest I clicked on this thread cause I saw women and bones in the title... Thought it was on Get Some's thread ;) but I'm glad I did. Good write up.

This sure as hell is another case for heavy ass deadlifts! lol - But I wonder in your mother's case with the fibromyalgia how would she have been able to add weight loads to her frame to get this effect?

I've been working pretty hard trying to get my mother to start using some sort of resistance training. She was very overweight, was diagnosed as a Type II diabetic and was given metformin... No longer takes the metformin, has lost a TON of weight, eats perfectly and goes for walks every day. But still no weights.

LOL at the reason you came. hahaha it did have calcium in the title :)

one of the things they recommend for fibromyalgia now is exercise and lifting. but when my mom was diagnosed 30 years ago, they had no idea what or why or anything. she was in so much pain that she didnt really do anything. it hurt her for us kids to even touch her! the doctors pretty much told her to not do anything. she has so many other problems now that she will never even try it because it will hurt her more even though eventually it will hurt her less. if that makes any sense.
 

SHINE

Friends Remembered
Oct 11, 2010
5,047
600
IS she taking any hormones ? and I hope No nasty primarin. Than IMO
Your mother most likey needs to be on HRT to replace estrogen levels or take rolaxifene a SERM that mimics estorgen and it's effects on bone mass. Without no or little estrogen levels womens bodies have a hard time absorbing calcium. Good point on the vite D-3, all your good hrt docs add this as part of treatment.

Your right the exercise will be a must to!

If you dig through this web page you will see the mention of serms, Raloxifene is one of the more popular ones theese days at the clinics. Most tolerate this drug quite well. Thing I like about this one is it helps to balance out cholest levels as well.

This is only a sujestion and I'm not saying this is the total solution to her problem but well worth looking into.

Osteoporosis Symptoms, Causes & Treatments | Healthline

And a bit about Raloxifene

http://www.aafp.org/afp/990915ap/1131.html

Peace.
 
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AllTheWay

AllTheWay

TID Lady Member
Mar 17, 2011
4,240
411
IS she taking any hormones ? and I hope No nasty primarin. Than IMO
Your mother most likey needs to be on HRT to replace estrogen levels or take rolaxifene a SERM that mimics estorgen and it's effects on bone mass. Without no or little estrogen levels womens bodies have a hard time absorbing calcium. Good point on the vite D-3, all your good hrt docs add this as part of treatment.

Your right the exercise will be a must to!

If you dig through this web page you will see the mention of serms, Raloxifene is one of the more popular ones theese days at the clinics. Most tolerate this drug quite well. Thing I like about this one is it helps to balance out cholest levels as well.

This is only a sujestion and I'm not saying this is the total solution to her problem but well worth looking into.

Osteoporosis Symptoms, Causes & Treatments | Healthline

And a bit about Raloxifene

Raloxifene: A Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator - September 15, 1999 - American Academy of Family Physicians

Peace.

she isnt taking any hormones. knowing my mother, she is probably taking some homeopathic stuff that is supposed to act like estrogen. she wont ever do HRT *big sigh* i agree with you that it is definately what she needs but there is no way i could convince her to do such a thing or see a qualified HRT doc. now if she read it in some silly article on the internet, than maybe she would. :rolleyes:

i will read the article on estrogen and bone. there is something rolling around in the back of my head about hormones and bone developement that i will have to ponder on for awhile to see if i can remember it right and put it all into perspective.:)

thanks for the info!
 
ITAWOLF

ITAWOLF

VIP Member
Dec 9, 2010
1,283
674
there is alot as of late on cal & vit d3 ---
matter of fact the women journal has a write up in it now
maybe u can get her to pop some cal & d3
cvs has a sale now ..buy 1 get | free...just picked up 4 the other day...since ive had hipreplacement & a glass rod down my femur ive been taking cal and vit d ...now changed to d3 ... my ortho is always amazed by the amount of cal i have built up around where my femur was blasted..

i wish u luck with mom....my dad is hardheaded and im in the same boat that ur in (grab a paddle-lol) i cant seem to talk him into taking anything ...not even androgel
 
dangerouscurves

dangerouscurves

TID Lady VIP
May 25, 2011
2,061
344
my doc also said with the calcium, and d3 I needed to add magnesium to it to have proper absorption.... but thank you for this you are very well spoken/written!
there is a lot of info about woman's bone deterioration especially with menopause, and I have seen the science articles about women using TRT to rebuild, and correct bone loss, there is quite a bit with HGH use being a super positive with the liver creating male liver enzymes in women and this effectively reversing or stopping the cause of woman's bone loss... I intend on using GH for my entire life for these simple reasons ... MY mom was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, but has overcome it with a healthy diet and walking/losing weight and desperately needs to learn how to lift weights but she at least knows this ! Hopefully later this month I will have a chance to train her :)
 
myosaurus

myosaurus

TID Board Of Directors
Sep 21, 2010
934
401
my fiancè is a RD and recommends calcium citrate above all other form, combined with vitamin D and taken at night before bed for best absorption.
 
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