Men who continuously participate in high-impact activities, such as jogging and tennis, during adolescence and young adulthood have greater hip and lumbar spine bone mineral density than those who do not take part in such activities, according to a study published in American Journal of Men’s Health.
In a cross-sectional study, researchers analyzed the physical histories of 203 healthy, physically active males ages 30 to 65. Participants’ sports and exercise histories varied in the type and level of activity and the length of time spent doing various physical activities.
Exercise-associated bone loading scores were calculated based on the biomechanical ground-reaction forces of the patients’ past and current physical activities. Current bone mineral density (BMD) was measured using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. In addition, participants were grouped based on current participation in a high-impact activity, resistance training, both, or neither.
Bone loading during adolescence and young adulthood were significant, positive predictors of BMD of the whole body, total hip, and lumbar spine, adjusting for lean body mass and/or age Individuals who currently participate in a high-impact activity had greater lumbar spine BMD than nonparticipants. Men who continuously participated in a high-impact activity had greater hip and lumbar spine BMD than those who did not.