Osteostrong and bone health: What the research says

If you have been reading about bone loss, osteoporosis, or fractures, you may have heard about OsteoStrong®.

It promises stronger bones with just 10-20 minutes a week. Sounds great—but is it too good to be true?

Let’s walk through what recent research actually shows, in plain language.

What Is OsteoStrong?

OsteoStrong is a company that sells franchises for centres where people can buy memberships to participate in a proprietary program. The program involves using special machines called the Spectrum system that have you push or pull as hard as you can for a few seconds at a time.

The idea is that it will generate strong forces on bones that help make them stronger.

That basic idea is true—bones do respond to force.
But the important question is:

👉 Does the Osteostrong program actually improve bone mineral density?

What our systematic review found

BonES Lab led a scoping review - a type of systematic review that searches for all available research on a topic. We looked at all the studies on OsteoStrong-type programs. We published it in a high-quality academic journal in 2025.

Click here to see it. 

Here’s what we found:

• We found 9 published studies
• Most were case studies or very small studies
• There were no randomized trials that examine the effects of Osteostrong compared to a control.
• Many were done by people with ties to the company
• The largest or highest quality studies did not support the conclusion that Osteostrong improves bone mineral density
• There wasn’t enough strong evidence to say if it works or not

👉 In simple terms:
We don’t have good-quality proof that OsteoStrong improves bone density.

Why Some Positive Results Should Be Viewed Carefully

You may have seen claims that OsteoStrong increases bone mineral density.

They will cite studies that report benefits—but there’s an important catch.

Many of these studies:

• were case studies or included very few people
• included researchers who worked for or had funding from Osteostrong or related companies
• had sources of bias e.g., they had a lot of missing data, or had poor reporting or methodological limitations 

Some studies included people who were also on medication for osteoporosis, which improves bone mineral density.

👉 we have concerns that claims of large increases in bone mineral density are not supported by strong clinical trials.

A Study That Raised Questions

In 2025, a study led by Greek researchers about OsteoStrong got a lot of attention. 

It was published online in February 2025 and researchers, including Dr. Lora Giangregorio and Dr. Rob Daly, wrote letters to the editor asking them to retract it because of the poor-quality research reporting and potentially misleading conclusions. 

The study was not retracted, but a few months later it was replaced with an entirely different version of the report, with a different study design, analyses, and conclusions. 

In the updated version:

• Bone improvements were observed only in people taking osteoporosis medication
• It was less clear if OsteoStrong alone made a difference
• There were still concerns with the methods, and there was potential conflict of interest.

Click here to read it.

👉 We do not think this study can be used to provide proof about the effectiveness of Osteostrong. 

What More Recent Studies Are Showing (2025–2026)

1. The BONEMORE study (2026)

The BONEMORE study compared OsteoStrong to a more traditional exercise program. 194 women with low bone mineral density participated in the study - half were randomized to once-weekly Osteostrong, and half were randomized to an exercise program that involved strength and balance exercises twice weekly, both for 9 months.

• The study was designed to see if Osteostrong was as effective as exercise, not to see if it was better. For that type of design, the statistical analyses are different than if they want to see if one intervention is better than another.
• They report that the effects of exercise and Osteostrong on an outcome called "bone material strength index" were similar. They report that in the Osteostrong group the index increased, though it was too small a change to be considered meaningful. Importantly, that index is not an accepted tool for clinical risk assessment, diagnosis, or treatment monitoring. 
• Osteostrong did not increase bone mineral density.

👉 So this study doesn't support the idea that OsteoStrong can increase bone mineral density.

2. An Independent Pilot Study in Women (2025)

An Australian team led a study to explore the feasibility of Osteostrong. 38 women with low bone mineral density participated in Osteostrong for 8 months.

It was not designed to provide conclusive data on the effectiveness of Osteostrong because it was focused on feasibility, there was no control group, and the sample size was small. However, it is worth mentioning because the sample size was larger than many other studies that have been published. 

• There was no improvement in bone mineral density in people who participated in Osteostrong for 8 months.
• There were small improvements in physical function (like strength or mobility)
• Some measures of bone quality decreased slightly

Click here to read it.

What do osteoporosis organizations have to say? 

Osteoporosis Canada does not support its use for fracture prevention based on current evidence. Click here to read their position.

The Swedish Osteoporosis Society recommends against Osteostrong, stating "In light of the lack of evidence and the potential risks, the Swedish Osteoporosis Society advises people with osteoporosis or with suspected osteoporosis against using the OsteoStrong method until scientific evidence is available that can determine the method's efficacy, safety and health economic value." and "there is a large lack of evidence for the effects that are promised." Click here to read their statement.

What does this mean for you? 

BonES lab's opinion is that there is a lack of scientific evidence to support any claims that Osteostrong can increase bone mineral density. We have concerns about marketing claims we have seen that we do not believe are substantiated by the body of evidence that exists. 

You may see anecdotes or social media posts about people who have improved their bone mineral density after participating in an intervention - anecdotes are not evidence. There are lots of reasons bone mineral density can increase - medications, technologist error, fluctuations in DXA machine functioning, changes in nutrition or other behaviours, and even arthritis! Did you know that arthritis in the spine can make it look like your bone mineral density is increasing over time?

There are costs to interventions like exercise or Osteostrong - the cost for memberships, equipment, or coaching, and the cost of your time. You want to invest in things where the evidence suggests they are effective. 

What Can Improve Bone Mineral Density?

The good news is that we do know what works.

There is research that the following may improve bone mineral density:

✅ Strength training (lifting weights) and impact exercise (like jumping)
✅ Medications to improve bone strength

These are recommended by health organizations around the world.

Bottom Line

OsteoStrong is based on a reasonable idea—but:

• We don’t yet have clear proof that it improves bone mineral density
• Some existing studies are not designed to make firm conclusions about the effectiveness of Osteostrong 
• More high-quality research is needed

👉 If your goal is to protect your bones, choose strength and impact training, and, if recommended by your doctor, osteoporosis medication.

✅ Other Key Takeaways 

• Be cautious of programs promising dramatic results
• Look for programs backed by strong research, clinical trials, or reputable guidelines