Female high-school varsity athletics: an opportunity to improve bone mineral density.
The present study investigated whether moderate, organized physical activity during high school has a positive residual effect on bone mineral density (BMD) in 30-35-year-old females. Seventy-three female former high-school varsity athletes and 67 self-reported low-activity age-matched controls completed a collegiate women's health survey and participated in a one-time clinical visit with bone scan. Lumbar (L1-L4) spine BMD, total hip BMD, percentage body fat, age at menarche, history of amenorrhea, family history of osteoporosis, college alcohol consumption, number of high school varsity seasons, as well as current nutritional intake (including calcium), number of weekly weight training sessions, and caloric expenditure were assessed. Using a saturated linear regression model, current percentage body fat and number of high school seasons predicted 22% of the observed variation in total hip BMD and 25% of the observed variation of lumbar (L1-L4) spine BMD (P<0.001). High school athletes were more likely to be frequent adult exercisers (P<0.001). Athletic participants were more likely to have denser hip and spine bones than low-activity controls. Results suggest that participation in high school athletics is associated with greater BMD. Additionally, the varsity athletes continued to exercise frequently in their early 30s.
Bush
Ruth A
RA
Rady Children's Hospital San Diego, CA, USA. rbush@rchsd.org
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000328:Adult; D050218:Body Fat Distribution; D015519:Bone Density; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006615:Hip / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011859:Radiography; D012574:Schools; D013177:Sports