title: Magnetic resonance imaging and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry of the lumbar spine in professional wrestlers and untrained men.
abstract: The aim of this study was to examine the relation between bone marrow adipose tissue (BMAT) and bone mineral density (BMD) of lumbar spine in male professional wrestlers and healthy untrained men. A total of 14 wrestlers (22.9±3.4 years) and 11 controls (24.4±1.6 years) were studied cross-sectionally. Body composition and BMD were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar spine was examined in a sagittal T1-weighted (T1-w) spin-echo (SE) sequence. The averaged bone marrow signal intensity (SI) of L2-L4 was related to the signal of an adjacent nondegenerative disk. Mean SI of T1-w SE in wrestlers was lower than controls (P=0.001), indicating L2-L4 BMAT in wrestlers was lower compared to controls. L2-L4 BMD in wrestlers was higher than controls (P<0.001). In the total subject population, L2-L4 BMD was inversely correlated with mean SI of T1-w SE (r=-0.62, P=0.001). This association remained strong after adjusting for body mass and whole lean mass, but became weaker after adjusting for whole body or trunk fat percentage. The inverse relationship between BMAT and BMD was confirmed in this relatively small subject sample with narrow age range, which implies that exercise training is an important determinant of this association.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sport and Health Sciences, Guangzhou Institute of Physical EducationGuangzhou, China - whoomin@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sheng
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000328:Adult; D015519:Bone Density; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D010806:Physical Education and Training / Q000379:methods; D016474:Weight-Bearing; D014952:Wrestling / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult