Please note: these internships are only available to current undergraduate students in Lancaster University Medical School.
This internship is offered as part of research opportunities for Medical School undergraduate students (MBChB and SaES). Each internship will be supervised by an academic member of staff. These opportunities are designed to give students experience of contributing to university research. These internships would be ideal for students considering postgraduate study, intercalated degrees or specialised foundation programmes.
Project Summary:
Resistance-based exercise is widely recommended for all adults, helping to improve or maintain overall health and physical function. Its significance is more apparent in consideration of the age-related declines in musculoskeletal health, with gradual reductions in muscle mass(sarcopenia) and bone density (osteopenia) starting around the age of 30(Walston, 2012). The rate and severity of these degenerative processes can be reduced with appropriate interventions, including resistance-based exercise (Yooet al., 2017). These degenerative effects are typically greater in women than men (Hwang and Park, 2017), and are particularly accelerated during, and after, menopause (Buckinx and Aubertin-Leheudre, 2022). Hormonal changes associated with this transition can lead to an accelerated reduction in both muscle and bone mass, thereby increasing risk of frailty, falls, fractures and reduced quality of life. Hence, resistance-based training is particularly beneficial for women in the peri-menopausal period, helping to preserve muscle strengthand bone health. Other benefits to resistance-based exercise include improvements to psychological well-being by reducing symptoms of anxiety and improving self-confidence, and physical well-being by enhancing posture, balance, and functional mobility. These improvements contribute to greater independence and quality of life (Mahindru, Patil, and Agrawal, 2023).
Despite strong evidence showing the benefits of resistance-based exercise, there remains a significant gap of evidence in there search literature concerning the relationship between strength and bone health in peri-menopausal women. There is a need for more evidence to support the role of resistance training, especially in relation to different types of exercises, their intensity, and volume that would improve bone health in women approaching menopause. Addressing this knowledge gap is crucial to developing evidence-based guidelines tailored to adult women.
This internship project aims to collect pilot data examining the association between muscle strength and bone health. Specifically, it will quantify bone mineral density at key anatomical sites, including the spine and hip, while also evaluating the potential impact of resistance training history.
To achieve this aim, a cross-sectional design will be used. An equal number of men and women aged 30 to 39 years will be recruited. Participants eligible who are taking part in the current Dual-EnergyXray Absorptiometry (DXA) derived visceral adipose tissue, body composition and bone project, will be invited to participate. 30 participants (15 male, 15 female) will be recruited, which is achievable based on the number of people recruited to the DXA study. Initial data will quantify the exercise/training history of the participants, which may be used to inform subsequent sub-analyses. Muscle strength will be assessed using an Isokinetic Dynamometer, which is the gold standard method for evaluating strength. Bone health will be measured using DXA, which provides precise assessments of bone mineral density (BMD).
We will publish the findings from this pilot project, and data will help inform the development of a larger grant (e.g. NIHR- Midlife Interventions) to support future research and guide exercise prescription strategies aimed at improving or preserving bone and muscle health in women.
Interview Date: Early July- tbc after exams
Start Date: 21 July 2025
End Date: 29 August 2025
Working Pattern: Up to 20 hours per week
Duration: 4 weeks (there is some flexibility over the summer vacation period)
Location: Work from Health Innovation One or the Human Performance Laboratory, the campus library, or use the hot desk space in Health Innovation One. Meetings with supervisor may be in person or remote via Microsoft Teams.