Introduction

Muscle mass is very important for the overall health of both men and women. This is because muscles are the largest endocrine organ of our body. Muscles release substances called myokines which can influence metabolism and immune function, among other things. In addition, Musculin is a hormone secreted by skeletal muscles.

Bones are the foundation for our muscles. If you have weak bones, your muscles will be weak too. The bone is a living tissue that constantly changes and adapts to its environment. As one ages, bone density gradually decreases, and there is a risk of life-threatening bone fractures. This is more problematic in ladies after menopause. Maintaining or increasing bone density and muscle strength is essential to prevent life-threatening bone fractures in old age. Osteoporosis is a very common but often silent disease where the bones have become fragile, leading to fractures often encountered when bones are exposed to pressure.

One of the most popular exercises is weight training. Research shows it helps build muscle and bone strength, but many people have a hard time finding time to go to the gym. Some people overtrain and injure themselves in the process. People are often under the misconception that their muscles grow when they’re working out, but in actuality, it’s when you are resting after the exercise. This is because the body stresses and injures your muscles during physical activity, and then it becomes stronger when you give them time to recover. Therefore, it is essential to find the optimum exercise with respect to the amount of muscle stimulation and duration for each individual.

Don’t worry. There is good news. Osteogenic loading, a particular type of exercise, can help you build bone and muscle strength with just 10 (or less) sweat-free minutes of exercise per week.

What is Osteogenic Loading?

As the name suggests, Osteogenic loading is a particular type of exercise that uses weight-bearing activities to stimulate bone growth, ultimately increasing bone density. These exercises not only strengthen bones but also can promote muscle growth. Although light exercises such as swimming or walking are beneficial for your well-being, weight-bearing exercises such as osteogenic loading especially stimulate bone growth and increase bone density because they directly compress the bone matrix and cells.

The main difference between osteogenic loading and regular weight-bearing exercises is that in osteogenic loading, the amount of load exerted on the bones is more than 4.2 times your body weight. Only after exerting this amount of load for a short period of time, the bone-building cells are stressed or injured and then regrow during the resting period. For example, if your body weight is 140 pounds, 4.2 × 140 = 588 pounds of load must be exerted on the bones to compress the bone matrix to stimulate bone growth and increase bone density.

There is a risk of injury when so much load is exerted on the bones, even though for a very short period of time. There are at least two subscription-based service providers utilizing computer-driven exercise machines that make osteogenic loading exercises safer, individualized, and result-driven. I also found one osteogenic loading exercise machine called BioDensity for sale by General MedTech.

OsteoStrong®

Dr. John Jaquish, called the Father of Osteogenic Loading, developed OsteoStrong® – an innovative technology utilizing robotic devices and computer systems that safely causes axial compression of bone to emulate the effect of impact, also called osteogenic loading. It focuses on four growth triggers: upper, lower, core, and postural. They claim it to be appropriate for all ages and even for those with osteoporosis. They also claim to increase bone and muscle strength and bone density and improve posture, balance, and athletic performance with just 10 minutes of exercise per week.

A bone scan called DEXA or DXA scan can detect bone density and bone strength. OsteoStrong® states that bone density and strength increase with their exercise routine can be seen on DEXA or DXA scans after about 6-12 months after starting the sessions. Likewise, improvements in balance can be seen after just one or two sessions, with gradual improvement afterward.

Muscle strength gains can be noticed after four sessions, with continued improvement afterward. Some weight loss may also be observed.

Their monthly plans cost from US Dollars 199 to 349.

BStrong4Life®

BStrong4Life® uses the BioDensity™ system to offer osteogenic loading exercise programs. It is a subscription-based service. Their exercise program is based on the principle of intense skeletal loading for a short period of time, followed by a long recovery period. They claim it to be a strong stimulus for bone and muscle growth. Their system makes osteogenic loading safe. It offers self-determined loading in an optimal position.

BStrong4Life® focuses on the following exercises: chest press, leg press, core pull, and vertical lift. The user determines the maximum load. They claim to target muscle fiber development and safe articular-skeletal loading.

Their system is automated and computerized to precisely measure and record load almost 30-times per second. The entire exercise session details are recorded and stored for displaying progress over time. They provide a report of performance at the end of every session.

BioDensity

The BioDensity Therapy System V4-1 is marketed by General MedTech. It costs approximately US Dollars 44,500 as of May 2022. It safely stimulates the natural bone regeneration capability of the body to increase bone density using the bone compression principle of osteogenic loading. It offers optimal biomechanics for the self-compression of bone to stimulate bone and muscle growth. It involves only one session per week that lasts less than 5-minutes. Since the user determines the weight-loading, it is within their comfort zone. There is no need to change clothes for the exercise session. A report of performance is provided at the end of each session. The data is stored in an online centralized server for safekeeping and 24-hour availability.

Problems with Accessibility

OsteoStrong® and BStrong4Life® are not available in most locations around the globe. Also, the BioDensity system is costly for an individual to purchase. I am hoping for someone to develop an economical solution so that osteogenic loading is accessible to most of the world’s population. Perhaps someone can develop a hack to safely perform these exercises at home or in a regular gym.