Effect of Soy Protein and Exercise on Bone Mineral Density and Bone Mineral Content in Growing Male Rats

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of dietary protein and exercise on bone mineral density and bone mineral content of growing male rats. Forty male, Sprague-Dawley rats(age 21 days) were assigned to four groups that underwent 9 weeks of experimental treatment. Animals were assigned to one of two exercise treatments (treadmill running or sedentary). The exercise and nonexercise group were fed a diet containing casein or soy with rich isoflavones (3.4mg/g protein). The exercise group ran on a rodent treadmill(speed of 15m/min for 30min) three days per week during the 9-week study period. All rats were fed an experimental diet and deionized water ad libitum for 9 weeks. Total bone mineral density (BMD), total bone mineral content (BMC), total body calcium, spine BMD and BMC, and femur BMD and BMC were determined by using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (FIXI-mus, GE Lunar Radiation Cooperation, Madison, WI, USA). The soy diet group appears to have a significantly higher total BMD/weight and total BMC/ weight, spine BMD/weight, spine BMC/weight, femur BMD/weight and femur BMC/weight compared to the casein group in nonexercise and exercise. The exercise group had significantly greater total BMD/weight and BMC/ weight, spine BMD/weight and BMC/weight, femur BMD/weight and BMC/weight compared to the nonexercise group when the protein source was casein. The exercise combined soy group had significantly greater total BMD/weight and BMC/weight, spine BMD/weight and BMC/weight, femur BMD/weight and BMC/weight, compared to the exercise combined casein group. The results indicate that exercise had a positive influence on bone mineral density and bone mineral content and soy significantly affect on bone mineral density and bone mineral content for the 9 weeks experimental period. It can be concluded that exercise combined with a soy diet is most beneficial for acquisition of spine bone mineral density in young growing male rats. This convincing evidence suggests that a change in life style such as increasing exercise and consumption of soy protein is a practical strategy for significantly reducing the incidence of osteoporosis.