Effect of a Combination of Jumping Exercise and Honey Supplementation on the Mass, Strength and Physical Dimensions of Bones in Young Female Rats

Summary The study investigated the effects of combined jumping exercise and honey supplementation on bone properties in young female rats. Forty eight 12- week old female rats were divided into four groups: control group (C), honey supplementation group (H), jumping group (J), and combined jumping and honey supplementation group (JH). Jumping exercise consisted of 40 jumps per day for 5 days per week at a height of 40 cm. Honey was supplemented to the rats at a dosage of 1g / kg body mass / rat / day via force feeding for 7 days per week. After 8 weeks of experimental period, right hind leg tibial and femoral wet and fat free day weights (bone mass), maximal load (bone strength), mid shaft maximum and minimum diameters were measured. Tibial wet and fat free dry weights (583.33 ± 29.82, P<0.01; 412.50 ± 24.89 P<0.05), tibial and femoral maximal load (101.55 ± 9.88; 133.97 ± 23.78, P<0.05), tibial mid-shaft minimum diameter (2.35 ± 0.13, P<0.05) and femoral mid-shaft maximum diameter (4.00 ± 0.16, P<0.05) were significantly increased in the combined jumping exercise and honey supplementation group. However, these discernable improvements in bone were not observed in the group with jumping exercise alone or the honey supplementation only group. The results of the present study suggest that a combination of jumping exercise and honey supplementation elicited more discernable beneficial effects on tibia and femur bone generally when compared to either jumping exercise or honey supplementation alone in young female rats.