What Does The Research Support?

We'd expect our exercise program to affect bone at the molecular/atomic level, but the question also occurs whether exercise affects the larger structures within the length of the bone tissues, such as the osteons, osteocytes, and various lacunae (bone layers) that compose the greater part of the mineral matrix. My conclusion previously had been in the negative, primarily on the premise that size of bone has through the eons been determined by function, and is thus unlikely to be affected significantly by exercise.

From that the posts went on to the question of calcification/ossification with the question whether exercise might increase the amount, quality, density of this process. And, I was concluding, or about to conclude "in the negative" again for reasons of form and function. My supposition would be the amount of calcium in a given space has genetic/mechanical/chemical origins and patterns which have little to do with exercise. I plan to surmise past this point, however, in subsequent posts.

And, lo and behold, I stumble onto an actual bit of research, last post, which somewhat supports the proposition that indeed the calcium producing cells, the osteocytes, remain the same in number, instead of increase in number, under the effect of stress and strain, the key parts of the study being that regardless of strain the osteocytes have a "markedly heterogeneous structural and material organization"--i.e. they fail to increase in number or pattern due to "strains". And--"The results of the study provide...no evidence that the number of osteocyte lacunae has a functional role in mechantransduction pathways that are typically considered in bone adaptation.

Unfortunately, I'm a little suspicious about this lone Internet paragraph quoting this research since I am at a loss how the researchers from the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Utah, might have conducted this study in 2005. Is the study your typical applying dead equine cannon bones to the strain gage, or did the researchers somehow figure out a way to count osteocytes embedded deep within living bone. Might they have killed animals to conduct their research?

One thing probably can be said with certainty. The method of this research was other than to inspect the live bone tissue of racing horses. Only that sort of research would indicate the "number of osteocytes" after speed work, and hence, I referred to this one paragraph of research popping up on the Internet as a "weak smoking gun". But, let's at least acknowledge that even this bit of light weight research at least provides more than my own rationalistic explanation, and somewhat supports the general thought process.

Hence, I believe there is some foundation in this research to draw some more logical conclusions. The next question--is it possible that Type I Bone Collagen Cells in the form of osteocytes will secrete more calcium and produce a denser calcified matrix under the stress of a racing animal. What might such a process be or consist of?

Training: None. Two days of sun and our rider comes up with such a badly pulled back muscle he's unable to hold himself upright, much less mount up. Our paddock for riderless work is in terrible shape and will be for several more days. We're taking things in stride, given our present plans, which I'll post soon.