BODYBUILDING AND BONE HEALTH IN OLDER ADULTS WITH OSTEOPOROSIS: A LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

Population aging in Brazil increases the relevance of osteometabolic diseases such as
osteoporosis, a condition characterized by reduced bone mineral density (BMD) and
deterioration of bone microarchitecture, with a consequent increase in fracture risk. This article
aimed to analyze the benefits of resistance training for older adults with osteoporosis. It is a
descriptive literature review with a qualitative approach. Searches were conducted between
August and October 2025 in the SciELO, PubMed, LILACS and Google Scholar databases,
using descriptors combined with Boolean operators and a time frame from 2017 to 2025. After
the identification, screening and eligibility stages, ten sources made up the analytical corpus,
including systematic reviews with meta-analysis, a randomized controlled trial and narrative
reviews. The findings indicate that resistance training produces consistent gains in muscle
strength and functional performance and contributes to the maintenance of, or modest increases
in, BMD, with effects that vary according to skeletal site, weekly frequency, intensity and the
addition of impact exercises. In postmenopausal women with low bone mass, a supervised high
intensity program produced greater effects than a low-intensity program on lumbar spine and
femoral neck BMD, without serious adverse events. It is concluded that resistance training,
when individually prescribed, progressive and supervised, is a relevant non-pharmacological
strategy in the care of older adults with osteoporosis, particularly for bone preservation and for
improving functional capacity related to fall risk.