The benefits of resistance training in breast cancer survivors: a focus on maintaining bone density

ABSTRACT While prognosis for breast cancer has improved, breast cancer survivors (BCS) contend with numerous side effects from cancer treatment. One side effect is an accelerated loss of bone mineral density (BMD) of 2-8% during treatment. While pharmacological treatments may be effective in combatting BMD loss, these medications may cause unwanted side effects. Resistance training may serve as an effective alternative to pharmacological treatments to help preserve BMD. The current literature shows that resistance training has been successful in maintaining BMD among BCS compared to non-exercising controls both during and after cancer treatments. While this non-pharmacological method may be helpful in attenuating BMD losses, there is no evidence supporting resistance training as a sufficient method for increasing BMD in BCS. Therefore, more research is needed to determine if resistance training alone or combined with higher impact exercises (plyometrics, hopping, jumping) has the potential to elicit BMD improvements in BCS.