Effect of resistance training combined with β-glucan ingestion on bone of ovariectomized mice

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of resistance training (RT) combined with prebiotic β-glucan (BG) ingestion (<i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i>) in ovariectomized (OVX) mice. Forty-eight mice were divided into six treatments: SHAM group and five OVX groups treated with saline (SAL), alendronate (ALE) (0.1 mg/kg), BG (62.5 mg/kg), RT (climbing a ladder with load) and the combination of BG + RT. All treatments were performed three times per week for 8 weeks starting 38 days after ovariectomy. OVX effectiveness was confirmed by a reduction in uterus mass (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05). Femur weight was higher in the SHAM group, followed by the ALE and RT groups with intermediate values and the BG + RT, BG and SAL groups with the lowest values (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05). The bone mineral density (BMD_DEXA) results were higher for the SHAM and RT groups compared to the other groups (<i>p</i> <i>&lt; </i>0.05). RT provided similar bone mass and resistance to fracture to ALE and SHAM. We found a similar number of osteocytes in the RT and SHAM groups, which was significantly higher than that found in animals receiving BG (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05). The BG + RT combination increased calcium bone concentration. RT promoted benefits on bone health in the OVX model, which were not complemented by the consumption of BG.