Belinda Beck - Griffith University (original) (raw)

Papers by Belinda Beck

$Research paper thumbnail of Effects of 8 months of twice-weekly high versus low intensity whole body vibration on risk factors for hip fracture in postmenopausal women: A randomized controlled trial$

Effects of 8 months of twice-weekly high versus low intensity whole body vibration on risk factors for hip fracture in postmenopausal women: A randomized controlled trial

Bone, May 1, 2009

ABSTRACT

PeerJ, 2018

This paper is the last of a three-part series that investigates the architecture of cancellous bo... more This paper is the last of a three-part series that investigates the architecture of cancellous bone in the main hindlimb bones of theropod dinosaurs, and uses cancellous bone architectural patterns to infer locomotor biomechanics in extinct non-avian species. Cancellous bone is highly sensitive to its prevailing mechanical environment, and may therefore help further understanding of locomotor biomechanics in extinct tetrapod vertebrates such as dinosaurs. Here in Part III, the biomechanical modelling approach derived previously was applied to two species of extinct, non-avian theropods,Daspletosaurus torosusandTroodon formosus. Observed cancellous bone architectural patterns were linked with quasi-static, three-dimensional musculoskeletal and finite element models of the hindlimb of both species, and used to derive characteristic postures that best aligned continuum-level principal stresses with cancellous bone fabric. The posture identified forDaspletosauruswas largely upright, wit...

Annals of geriatric medicine and research, May 2, 2023

PeerJ, Oct 31, 2018

This paper is the first of a three-part series that investigates the architecture of cancellous (... more This paper is the first of a three-part series that investigates the architecture of cancellous ('spongy') bone in the main hindlimb bones of theropod dinosaurs, and uses cancellous bone architectural patterns to infer locomotor biomechanics in extinct non-avian species. Cancellous bone is widely known to be highly sensitive to its mechanical environment, and has previously been used to infer locomotor biomechanics in extinct tetrapod vertebrates, especially primates. Despite great promise, cancellous bone architecture has remained little utilized for investigating locomotion in many other extinct vertebrate groups, such as dinosaurs. Documentation and quantification of architectural patterns across a whole bone, and across multiple bones, can provide much information on cancellous bone architectural patterns and variation across species. Additionally, this also lends itself to analysis of the musculoskeletal biomechanical factors involved in a direct, mechanistic fashion. On this premise, computed tomographic and image analysis techniques were used to describe and analyse the three-dimensional architecture of cancellous bone in the main hindlimb bones of theropod dinosaurs for the first time. A comprehensive survey across many extant and extinct species is produced, identifying several patterns of similarity and contrast between groups. For instance, more stemward non-avian theropods (e.g. ceratosaurs and tyrannosaurids) exhibit cancellous bone architectures more comparable to that present in humans, whereas species more closely related to birds (e.g. paravians) exhibit architectural patterns bearing greater similarity to those of extant birds. How to cite this article Bishop et al. (2018), Cancellous bone and theropod dinosaur locomotion. Part I-an examination of cancellous bone architecture in the hindlimb bones of theropods. PeerJ 6:e5778;

Military Medicine, May 15, 2021

Introduction: Army recruit injuries occurring during basic training can lead to high personal and... more Introduction: Army recruit injuries occurring during basic training can lead to high personal and organizational burdens potentially threatening deployment capability. Previous military surveillance describing recruit injury as defined by physical therapy presentations is limited to 1-year duration or includes only male infantry recruits or trained personnel. Research describing injury incidence and trends specific to New Zealand Army basic training recruits over a longer period will better inform future injury prevention programs. Aims: To identify the incidence and patterns of injuries reported from physical therapy presentations for New Zealand Army recruits undertaking basic training over a 4-year period. Materials and Methods: This retrospective observational study identified injuries from physical therapy service presentations in New Zealand Army recruits from 2008 to 2011. All male and female New Zealand Army recruits who presented to physical therapy, following medical triage, were included. Recruit physical therapy presentations for injury and respiratory and other conditions were collated. Injury incidence was grouped by body region (upper limbs, lower limbs, and combined spinal regions) and site (joint or segment), and cumulative and injury incidence rates were calculated. Results: One thousand eight hundred and ninety-six (1,697 males and 199 females) New Zealand Army recruits commenced basic training between 2008 and 2011. One thousand six hundred and eighty-three physical therapy presentations occurred for recruit injury during New Zealand Army basic training over 4 years. Lower limb injuries accounted for over 75% (n = 1,285) of the overall demand for physical therapy service during recruit basic training. Injuries sustained at the knee and below accounted for 67% of all reported injury presentations. Conclusion: Four years of injury surveillance using physical therapy presentations identified the lower limb, with the knee and below as the most commonly injured regions in New Zealand Army recruits. Injury prevention interventions for New Zealand Army recruits should aim to reduce lower limb injuries. Future research on injury surveillance would benefit from incorporating clear injury and severity definitions, established injury classification systems, and standardized incidence calculations.

American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Dec 1, 2010

Objective: Whole-body vibration (WBV) is a potential therapy for age-related loss of musculoskele... more Objective: Whole-body vibration (WBV) is a potential therapy for age-related loss of musculoskeletal competence. Vibration has improved bone in animal models but human evidence is limited. Relative efficacy of low versus high intensity WBV is also unknown. Our goal was to observe the effect of brief low (LoWBV) and higher intensity WBV (HiWBV) on risk factors for hip fracture in postmenopausal women. Design: We utilized an 8-month randomized controlled trial design to examine the influence of twiceweekly LoWBV (15mins, 30Hz, 0.3g) or HiWBV (2x3mins, 12.5Hz, 1g) on anthropometrics, bone (whole body, hip, spine, forearm, heel), muscle (wall squat, chair rise), and balance (tandem walk, single leg stance). Physical activity, daily calcium and compliance were recorded. Effects were examined by repeated measures ANCOVA, controlling for age, height, weight, calcium, physical activity, compliance, and baseline values. Results: 47 women (71.5±9.0 years) completed the trial. There were no between-group differences in any measure at 8 months, but within-group effects were evident. Controls lost bone at the trochanter (-6%, p=0.03) and lumbar spine (-6.6%, p=0.02) while WBV groups did not. WBV subjects improved wall squat (up to 120%, p=0.004) and chair rise performance (up to 10.5%, p=0.05). Conclusions: 8 months of twice-weekly WBV may reduce bone loss at the hip and spine and improve lower extremity muscle function. These changes may translate to a decreased risk of falls and hip fracture.

PLOS ONE, Jan 14, 2021

Background Accurate obesity classification is important so that appropriate intervention can be i... more Background Accurate obesity classification is important so that appropriate intervention can be instituted to modify metabolic risk factors. Commonly utilized body mass index (BMI) and percentage body fat (PBF) are influenced by lean mass whereas fat mass index (FMI) measures only body fat. This study compares the prevalence of obesity and metabolic risk factors with FMI, BMI and PBF using DXA (dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry). Methods 489 women randomly recruited from the electoral roll were stratified into 4 age groups; 40-49, 50-59, 60-69 and 70-79 years from 2000 to 2001. Clinical data and DXA body composition were obtained. Statistical analyses were performed using Medcalc v15 (Ostend, Belgium) with significance level at p = 0.05 (two-tailed). Results There was higher prevalence of obesity using PBF compared to BMI and FMI (p<0.001). This difference was greater from age 50-59 (p<0.05) which may be explained by agerelated lean mass loss. PBF over-classified obesity in over 35% of normal and 95% of overweight categories compared to FMI and BMI. BMI has a sensitivity of 78.9% and specificity of 98.3% for obesity using FMI as the standard. BMI under-classified obesity in the overweight category by 14.9% compared to FMI. There was no difference in diabetes,

Pediatric Exercise Science, Nov 1, 2017

The goal of the current work is to challenge the enduring notion that pre-puberty is the optimum ... more The goal of the current work is to challenge the enduring notion that pre-puberty is the optimum timing for maximum bone response to exercise in childhood, and to present the evidence that early puberty is a more a potently receptive period. Method The relevant literature is reviewed and the causes of the misconception addressed in detail. Results Contrary to prevailing opinion, ample evidence exists to suggest the peri-pubertal years represent the developmental period during which bone is likely to respond most robustly to exercise intervention. Conclusion Public health initiatives that target bone-specific exercise interventions during the pubertal years is likely to be the most effective strategy to harness the increased receptiveness of the growing skeleton to mechanical loading.

Sports, Apr 16, 2021

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY

Current Osteoporosis Reports, Oct 12, 2015

A considerable volume of evidence has accumulated to suggest that WBV may have a therapeutic role... more A considerable volume of evidence has accumulated to suggest that WBV may have a therapeutic role to play in the prevention of osteoporotic fracture, particularly for individuals who are unable to tolerate vigorous exercise interventions. There is moderate to strong evidence that WBV will prevent falls (likely due to enhanced neuromuscular function), but also some indication that the effects of WBV do not outstrip those of targeted exercise. Animal data indicates that WBV will also improve bone mass, including preventing loss due to hormone withdrawal, disuse and glucocorticoid exposure. Human trials, however, have produced equivocal outcomes for bone. Positive trends are apparent at the hip and spine, but shortcomings in study designs have limited statistical power. The mechanism of the vibration effect on bone tissue is likely to be mechanical coupling between an oscillating cell nucleus and the cytoskeleton. More robust dose-response human data are required before therapeutic guidelines can be developed.

Contemporary Endocrinology, 2020

Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine, 2019

Purpose: Given the lack of research investigating surfing and bone health, we aimed to assess the... more Purpose: Given the lack of research investigating surfing and bone health, we aimed to assess the bone mineral density (BMD) of middle-aged and older surfers. Patients and methods: In a cross-sectional observational design, we compared a group of middle-aged and older surfers to a group of non-surfers, age-and sex-matched controls. Participants were males, aged between 50 and 75 years. Volunteers were assessed for body mass index, bone-specific physical activity questionnaire (BPAQ) scores, daily calcium intake, and alcohol intake. Primary outcomes included BMD at the femur and lumbar spine (LS), and T-score, assessed via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Bone biomarkers were also analyzed. Results: A total of 104 participants (59 surfers and 45 controls) were assessed. Groups were similar with regards to all demographic characteristics except for percentage of lean mass (higher in surfers, mean difference [MD] +2.57%; 95% CI 0.05-5.09; p=0.046) and current BPAQ score (lower in surfers; MD −0.967; 95% CI −0.395 to −1.539; p=0.001). Surfers had a mean surfing experience of 41.2 (SD ±11.8) years and mean surfing exposure of 26.9 (SD ±15.0) hours/month. Controls were divided into two groups, according to their main physical activity: weight-bearing/ high intensity (WBHI) and non-weight-bearing/low intensity (NWBLI). When compared to NWBLI controls, surfers had higher LS BMD (MD +0.064; 95% CI 0.002-0.126; p=0.041) and higher T-score (MD +0.40; 95% CI 0.01-0.80; p=0.042); however, surfers had a lower T-score than the WBHI group (MD −0.52; 95% CI −0.02 to −1.0; p=0.039). No other differences were found between groups. Conclusion: The findings of this study support our hypothesis that regular surfing may be an effective physical activity for middle-aged and older men to decrease bone deterioration related to aging, as we identified positive results for surfers in relation to primary outcomes.

Author response for "A Comparison of Bone-Targeted Exercise With and Without Antiresorptive Bone Medication to Reduce Indices of Fracture Risk in Postmenopausal Women With Low Bone Mass: The MEDEX-OP Randomized Controlled Trial

Enjoyment and acceptability of different exercise modalities to improve bone health in young adult women

Health Promotion Journal of Australia, Jan 28, 2020

Issue addressedOsteoporosis presents a serious public health issue and physical activity is recog... more Issue addressedOsteoporosis presents a serious public health issue and physical activity is recognised as the most effective modifiable risk factor for the condition. The reasons behind physical activity participation, however, are complex. We therefore aimed to explore the experiences related to a bone‐targeted exercise intervention, determine enjoyment and acceptability of each exercise mode, and identify barriers and facilitators to osteogenic exercise for young adult women.MethodsThe present study was conducted within the Osteoporosis Prevention Through Impact and Muscle‐loading Approaches to Exercise (OPTIMA‐Ex) trial, a three‐arm RCT comparing musculoskeletal outcomes from two supervised, high‐intensity, exercise programs (impact and resistance training) with an unsupervised low‐intensity exercise control. A mixed‐methods approach was used, including quality of life and physical activity enjoyment questionnaires and qualitative analysis of semi‐structured interviews.ResultsAll groups had improvements in the 'mental health' domain of the quality of life measure; however, the two supervised exercise groups had greater levels of physical activity enjoyment. The qualitative analysis revealed that overall the trial activities were positively, yet the two supervised groups had 'richer' exercise experiences. Motivations for participation, barriers to physical activity and desired continuation of participation differed between all three groups.ConclusionsFindings suggest that bone‐targeted exercise interventions for young adult women must address perceived time demands and environmental barriers to participation in order to maximise compliance and adherence.So what?As physical activity is the most effective lifestyle strategy to improve bone health and young adulthood an important window for its augmentation, increasing convenience, accessibility and understanding of osteoporosis preventative behaviours in this demographic is vital.

Concurrent Validity and Reliability of a Linear Positional Transducer and an Accelerometer to Measure Punch Characteristics

Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, Mar 1, 2018

Lambert, C, Beck, BR, and Weeks, BK. Concurrent validity and reliability of a linear positional t... more Lambert, C, Beck, BR, and Weeks, BK. Concurrent validity and reliability of a linear positional transducer and an accelerometer to measure punch characteristics. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2017-Punch speed is an important factor in the sport of boxing, and its measurement has important implications for monitoring training progression and outcomes. The aim of the current study was to establish the concurrent validity and reliability of a linear position transducer and an accelerometer for the quantification of punch characteristics in untrained adults. Men and women aged 18-30 years with no previous boxing experience and no upper-limb musculoskeletal injuries were recruited. Participants performed 6 straight right punches; 3 at a self-determined 50% effort; and 3 at maximum effort. An accelerometer (Crossbow) and a linear positional transducer (GymAware) were used to examine peak velocity and acceleration of each punch. Validity was examined using Pearson&amp;#39;s correlation analyses and by calculating mean bias and limits of agreement between measures from each device, whereas reliability was established using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Forty-four healthy young adults (28M and 16F; age 22.2 ± 2.9 years) participated. Moderate-to-strong positive associations were observed for both devices at 50% effort for velocity (r = 0.572-0.696) and acceleration (r = 0.867-0.921) and at maximum effort for velocity (r = 0.748-0.781) and acceleration (r = 0.897-0.946). High levels of reliability were observed with maximum punches for both devices (ICC = 0.922-0.981). Overall, moderate-strong measurement validity and reliability for punch speed was observed between the accelerometer and GymAware. Thus, the GymAware linear positional transducer is an acceptable measurement tool for the quantification of punch speed for straight punches in untrained adults.

Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, Mar 30, 2020

This article has been accepted for publication and undergone full peer review but has not been th... more This article has been accepted for publication and undergone full peer review but has not been through the copyediting, typesetting, pagination and proofreading process which may lead to differences between this version and the Version of Record. Please cite this article as

$Research paper thumbnail of High-intensity exercise did not cause vertebral fractures and improves thoracic kyphosis in postmenopausal women with low to very low bone mass: the LIFTMOR trial$

Osteoporosis International, Jan 5, 2019

Our aim was to assess risk of vertebral fracture during high-intensity resistance and impact trai... more Our aim was to assess risk of vertebral fracture during high-intensity resistance and impact training (HiRIT) for postmenopausal women with low bone mass. HiRIT did not induce vertebral fracture, as evidenced by a reduction in kyphosis following 8 months of training and a lack of change in vertebral morphology. Introduction The LIFTMOR trial demonstrated a novel, HiRIT program notably improved bone mass in postmenopausal women with osteopenia and osteoporosis. While no clinical signs or symptoms of vertebral crush fracture were evident during the trial, anecdotal feedback suggests that concerns about safety of HiRIT in the osteoporosis demographic remain. The aim of the current work was to assess vertebral body morphology, Cobb angle, and clinical measures of thoracic kyphosis in participants in the LIFTMOR trial for evidence of vertebral fracture following 8 months of supervised HiRIT. Methods Participants were randomized to either 8 months of 30-min, twice-weekly, supervised HiRIT or unsupervised, lowintensity, home-based exercise (CON). Lateral thoracolumbar DXA scans (Medix DR, Medilink, France) were performed at baseline and follow-up. Cobb angle was determined, and vertebral fracture identification was performed using the semiquantitative Genant method. Clinical kyphosis measurements were performed in relaxed standing (neutral posture) and standing tall using an inclinometer and a flexicurve. Results The HiRIT group exhibited a reduction in inclinometer-determined standing tall thoracic kyphosis compared to CON (− 6.7 ± 8.2°vs − 1.6 ± 8.1°, p = 0.031). Both the HiRIT and CON groups exhibited within-group improvement in kyphosis in relaxed standing as measured by both inclinometer and flexicurve (p < 0.05). There were no changes in vertebral fracture classification in the HiRIT group post-intervention. A single, new, wedge deformity was observed for CON. Conclusions Supervised HiRIT was not associated with an increased risk of vertebral fracture in postmenopausal women with low bone mass. Indeed, a clinically relevant improvement in thoracic kyphosis was observed following 8 months of supervised HiRIT, further supporting its efficacy as an osteoporosis intervention for postmenopausal women with low to very low bone mass.

Osteoporosis International, Aug 5, 2015

The aim of the LIFTMOR (Lifting Intervention For Training Muscle and Osteoporosis Rehabilitation)... more The aim of the LIFTMOR (Lifting Intervention For Training Muscle and Osteoporosis Rehabilitation) trial is to determine the safety and efficacy of brief, bone-targeted, highintensity progressive resistance training (HiPRT) with impact loading for postmenopausal women with low bone mass. Preliminary findings indicate the LIFTMOR program is safe and effective. Introduction Despite a lack of notable efficacy, exercise guidelines for osteoporosis typically recommend moderateintensity exercises, owing to a perceived risk of fracture from high-intensity loading. Indeed, safety concerns alone have prevented the well-recognised preferential response of bone tissue to high-intensity loads from being applied to those who stand to benefit the most. To progress from this therapeutic stalemate, a challenge to conventional wisdom was required. Our goal was to examine the safety and efficacy of HiPRT and impact loading for risk factors of osteoporotic fracture in postmenopausal women with low to very low bone mass. Methods Participants have been randomised to either 8 months of twice-weekly 30-min supervised HiPRT and impact loading or a low-intensity home-based exercise program of the same duration and dose. Testing at baseline and followup has included anthropometry; bone, muscle, and fat mass; and functional performance. Results Twenty-eight women (66.1±4.8 years, mean lumbar spine T-score −2.15±0.72) have completed the study. HiPRT and impact loading (n=12) improved height (0.4±0.2 cm vs −0.3±0.1 cm, p=0.003), femoral neck bone mineral density (0.3±0.5 % vs −2.5±0.8 %, p=0.016), lumbar spine bone mineral density (1.6±0.9 % vs −1.7±0.6 %, p=0.005), and functional performance (p<0.05), compared to controls (n= 16). Compliance has been >87 %. There have been no injuries. Conclusions Brief supervised HiPRT with impact loading is a safe and effective exercise therapy for postmenopausal women with low to very low bone mass.

Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, Sep 1, 2021

Lambert, C, Beck, BR, and Weeks, BK. Landing impact intensities for jumping exercises from the OP... more Lambert, C, Beck, BR, and Weeks, BK. Landing impact intensities for jumping exercises from the OPTIMA-Ex trial in trained and untrained women. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2019-High-intensity mechanical loads are required to elicit a positive adaptive bone response. Our aim was to quantify the mechanical loads of impact exercises used in each progressive stage of a bone-targeted exercise intervention (the OPTIMA-Ex trial) and to investigate differences in mechanical loads between untrained and trained subjects. A randomized repeated measures experimental design was used to quantify and compare the mechanical loads, including vertical ground reaction force (vGRF) and the rate of loading (RoL) of the landing phase, of all impact exercises applied in the OPTIMA-Ex trial and to determine the load intensity for each training stage of the impact intervention. Fifteen healthy young adult women aged 18-30 years (mean 23.1 6 3.5 years) were recruited (5 trained and 10 untrained). Overall, vGRF was classified as high impact (.4 times body mass [BM]) for all 7 training stages (4.70 6 1.89 to 6.79 6 2.17 BM), whereas RoL ranged from 207.01 6 175.09 to 371.52 6 393.43 BM•s 21 across the stages. Furthermore, a significant time effect was observed between training stages for vGRF/BM (p 5 0.001) and RoL (p , 0.001). Trained subjects exhibited greater impact loads than untrained subjects for activities at every training stage (p , 0.01). We found that impact activities at every stage of the OPTIMA-Ex trial not only met the GRF criteria for high intensity but also exhibited progressive increases in load for successive stages. Furthermore, trained subjects were capable of producing greater impact loads than untrained subjects.

Physical activity estimated by the bone-specific physical activity questionnaire is also associated with cardiovascular risk

European Journal of Sport Science, Mar 3, 2016

The nature of physical activity that benefits bone is traditionally thought to differ from that b... more The nature of physical activity that benefits bone is traditionally thought to differ from that benefiting cardiovascular health. Accordingly, exercise recommendations for improving bone health and cardiovascular health are largely incongruent. Our aim was to determine the associations between high-impact physical activity participation and both cardiovascular disease risk factors and bone mass. We recruited 94 men and women (age 34.0 ± 13.3 years) to undergo measures of cardiovascular disease risk (BMI, total cholesterol, fasting blood glucose, waist-to-hip ratio, and mean arterial pressure) and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA XR-800, Norland) measures of bone mass (femoral neck, lumbar spine, and whole body BMD) and body composition (whole body lean mass and fat mass). Physical activity participation was estimated using the bone-specific physical activity questionnaire (BPAQ). Those in the upper tertile for current BPAQ score exhibited lower total cholesterol, waist-to-hip ratio, and mean arterial pressure than those in the lower tertiles (P &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; 0.05) with the relationship being mild-to-moderate (r = -0.49 to 0.29, P &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; 0.01). Those in the upper tertile for BPAQ score also had greater lumbar spine BMD than those in the lower tertile (P = 0.008), with BPAQ score predicting 6% of the variance in BMD (P = 0.02). We conclude that high-impact physical activity as captured by the BPAQ may be beneficial for both bone health and for attenuating cardiovascular disease risk.