Building bone-mass
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Building Bone-mass: Hoping to build bone mass? Try squash and weight lifting!
Osteoporosis, the low bone-mass disease which leads to an increased risk of hip, spine, leg, and wrist fractures, is a major public health problem in the United States. One-third of all men over the age of 75 will suffer from the malady.
Exercise is one way to prevent osteoporosis, since the physical forces placed on bones during muscle contractions help to enhance bone density. However, different types of exercise have contrasting effects on bone mass. In the February issue of PEAK PERFORMANCE, we reported that rowing is a nearly perfect sport for bone building, although it doesn't thicken leg bones very much, while triathlon participation is actually no better than a sedentary lifestyle at constructing bone.
Scientists at the Tampere Research Station of Sports Medicine in Tampere, Finland, have now found that two other popular sports - squash and weight lifting - have very positive effects on bone fabrication. 164 competitive female athletes from seven different sports took part in the new Finnish study, including 30 orienteers, 29 cyclists, 18 weight lifters, 28 cross country skiers, 27 aerobic dancers, 18 squash players, and 14 speed skaters. Average age of the athletes was 24 years, and mean weight was 134 pounds.
As mentioned, the big winners in the bone-density race were the squash players and weight lifters. Compared to non-active control individuals, the bone-mineral densities of the squash-players' spines were 1 4-per cent higher. In addition, their leg bones were 13- to 17-per cent thicker, and their foot bones were about 1 9-per cent more solid.
The weight lifters didn't fare badly, either. Their legs were 1 7-per cent thicker, their knee caps were 1 8-per cent more solid, and their arms had 20-per cent more substance, compared to non-exercising people. By contrast, cycling had little impact on bone-building; the cyclists' skeletal parts were no more solid than those of sedentary control individuals.
Why were squash and weight lifting so good for the bones? The sudden stops involved in squash place heavy forces on the leg bones, leading to their rapid increase in solidity. Likewise, weight lifting stresses both the legs and arms, providing a broader-based bone-building effect.
So, exercise can be extremely good for your bones, IF the exercise puts strains of fairly high magnitude on your ossified parts. Rowing workouts will help give you a heavy-duty spine, while adding in squash and weight lifting will ensure that your arms and legs are like granite. Of course, you also have to make sure that you're consuming enough calcium. Fortunately, that part of the equation is fairly easy: To reach your recommended daily allowance of calcium, you need only ingest three cups of either milk or yoghurt daily (after menopause, women should shoot for four to five cups, as should men over the age of 60).
'Bone Mineral Density of Female Competitive Athletes in Seven Sports,n Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, vol. 26(5), Supplement, p. 560, 1994
Scientists at the Tampere Research Station of Sports Medicine in Tampere, Finland, have now found that two other popular sports - squash and weight lifting - have very positive effects on bone fabrication. 164 competitive female athletes from seven different sports took part in the new Finnish study, including 30 orienteers, 29 cyclists, 18 weight lifters, 28 cross country skiers, 27 aerobic dancers, 18 squash players, and 14 speed skaters. Average age of the athletes was 24 years, and mean weight was 134 pounds.
As mentioned, the big winners in the bone-density race were the squash players and weight lifters. Compared to non-active control individuals, the bone-mineral densities of the squash-players' spines were 1 4-per cent higher. In addition, their leg bones were 13- to 17-per cent thicker, and their foot bones were about 1 9-per cent more solid.
The weight lifters didn't fare badly, either. Their legs were 1 7-per cent thicker, their knee caps were 1 8-per cent more solid, and their arms had 20-per cent more substance, compared to non-exercising people. By contrast, cycling had little impact on bone-building; the cyclists' skeletal parts were no more solid than those of sedentary control individuals.
Why were squash and weight lifting so good for the bones? The sudden stops involved in squash place heavy forces on the leg bones, leading to their rapid increase in solidity. Likewise, weight lifting stresses both the legs and arms, providing a broader-based bone-building effect.
So, exercise can be extremely good for your bones, IF the exercise puts strains of fairly high magnitude on your ossified parts. Rowing workouts will help give you a heavy-duty spine, while adding in squash and weight lifting will ensure that your arms and legs are like granite. Of course, you also have to make sure that you're consuming enough calcium. Fortunately, that part of the equation is fairly easy: To reach your recommended daily allowance of calcium, you need only ingest three cups of either milk or yoghurt daily (after menopause, women should shoot for four to five cups, as should men over the age of 60).
'Bone Mineral Density of Female Competitive Athletes in Seven Sports,n Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, vol. 26(5), Supplement, p. 560, 1994
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