The Dr. Doug Show Does Osteogenic Loading Improve Bone Density? Here’s What the Latest Study Shows
Dec 3, 2025
Dr. Doug Lucas dives into a recent study on osteogenic loading and its impact on bone density, revealing that melatonin likely drove any observed improvements. He highlights major flaws in the study design and discusses why previous research failed to show significant benefits. With statistical insights, he questions the meaningfulness of the small changes in bone density and emphasizes the need for better-designed trials. Tune in for practical recommendations and a deeper understanding of osteoporosis prevention.
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Evidence For Osteogenic Loading Is Weak
- Current research on OsteoStrong is limited, biased, and inconsistent across small observational studies.
- The literature shows imprecision, conflicts of interest, and scarce safety data, so conclusions remain uncertain.
New Randomized Trial Tested Dual Interventions
- A new randomized trial tested osteogenic loading plus melatonin versus sham and placebo, focusing on DEXA-measured BMD.
- The study included postmenopausal women with low bone density and excluded osteoporosis and bone drugs to isolate effects.
Reported BMD Gain Falls Within DEXA Error
- The combined melatonin plus osteogenic loading group showed a small lumbar spine BMD increase versus baseline.
- That reported 0.013 g/cm2 change likely equals about 1.3–1.6%, which sits within typical DEXA least-significant-change margins.