The effect of long-distance running upon appendicular bone mineral content.
The bone mineral content (BMC) of the os calcis was measured for a group of 20 male runners at the beginning and the end of a 9-month marathon training program. The participants had no previous running experience. The percent change in bone mineral in the runners was compared with that of a control group of male subjects of the same age range (38-68 yr). The consistent runners showed a significant increase in bone mineral over that of the controls; the increase was not significant for inconsistent runners. The data suggest that those runners with longer, more consistent distances gained more bone mineral than those with shorter, more inconsistent distances.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008903:Minerals / Q000032:analysis*; D012420:Running
D008903:Minerals