This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Study contradicts ‘use it or lose it’ adage for lifelong bone health and activity
Researchers of this study, found benefits in bone health that continue throughout life in men who exercised during their youth.
“Half of the benefit in bone size and one-third of the benefit in bone strength obtained from physical activity during youth are maintained throughout life, even though the bone mass benefits are lost.” Stuart J. Warden, MD, and colleagues wrote in their study. “When physical activity was continued during aging, some mass and more strength benefits were preserved.”
Warden and colleagues studied throwing-to-nonthrowing arm differences in humeral diaphysis bone properties in 103 professional baseball players throughout their careers and 94 age-matched controls. The player cohort included nine active throwers or current professional pitchers, 84 former throwers and 10 continuing throwers.
Participants were compared for strain within the humerus during throwing, shoulder muscle strength and range of motion. The investigators analyzed the participants using DEXA and quantitative CT analyses.
Side-to-side differences in both cortical bone mineral content and area were greater in the continuing thrower cohort than in former throwers or controls. Throwing-related physical activity nearly doubled the strength of the humeral diaphysis. At cessation of throwing activities, cortical bone mass, area, and thickness gains from physical activity during youth were lost over time. 50% of the bone size (total cross-sectional area) and 33% of the bone strength (polar moment of inertia) gains from youth exertion were maintained throughout life.
In continuing throwers, some cortical bone mass and more strength benefits of the physical activity during youth were maintained. Continuing throwers conferred no added benefit in bone total area/size, with differences between the throwing and nonthrowing arms being comparable in continuing and former throwers.
“Physical activity during youth should be encouraged for lifelong bone health, with the focus being optimization of bone size rather than increasing mass,” Warden and colleagues wrote. — by Christian Ingram
Disclosures: The authors were supported in part by National Institutes of Health grants and acknowledged support from Major League Baseball’s Players Alumni Association for patient recruitment.