Adolescent exercise associated with long-term superior measures of bone geometry: a cross-sectional DXA and MRI study.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether childhood sports participation, particularly weight-bearing sports, has any effect on bone mineral content (BMC), areal bone mineral density (aBMD) and bone geometric characteristics in middle-aged postmenopausal women. Design/


METHODS
In this cross-sectional comparison of two groups, 46 middle-aged women (mean age, 60.2 (SD 5.6) years; range, 52-73 years) were grouped according to sport participation during growth: weight-bearing sports, including high-impact weight-bearing activities; and low-impact non-weight-bearing sports or no participation.


METHODS
Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)-measured BMC, aBMD in the lumbar spine and femur. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) determined bone geometric characteristics in the femur, such as femoral mid-diaphyseal cross-sectional area, periosteal and endosteal perimeters and maximum and minimum second moment of area.


RESULTS
Postmenopausal middle-aged women with participation in weight-bearing sports during junior high to high school (12-18 years old) displayed significantly greater BMC in both lumbar spine and femoral neck regions, and also significantly greater femoral mid-diaphyseal bone cross-sectional area, periosteal perimeter and maximum and minimum second moment of area than the non-weight-bearing sports group.


CONCLUSIONS
Adolescent weight-bearing exercise exerts preservational effects on femoral mid-diaphyseal size and shape, while DXA-measured BMC effectively identified the same tendency. Weight-bearing exercise in youth affects bone, and these effects may be preserved as BMC, geometric and structural advantages even after 40 years.
Kato
T
T
Department of Clinical Nutrition, Suzuka University of Medical Science, Kishioka, Japan. t-kato@suzuka-u.ac.jp
Yamashita
T
T
Mizutani
S
S
Honda
A
A
Matumoto
M
M
Umemura
Y
Y
D000293:Adolescent; D000368:Aged; D015519:Bone Density / Q000502:physiology*; D002136:Calcium, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000473:pathology*; D013177:Sports / Q000502:physiology*; D016474:Weight-Bearing / Q000502:physiology
D002136:Calcium, Dietary