Exercise is beneficial to increase areal bone mineral density (aBMD) in adolescence and maintain it in old age. Additionally, high-impact sports are more effective than low-impact sports in increasing BMD. This study aimed to determine the types of sports practiced by adolescents in school sports clubs associated with aBMD in old age.
In total, 1,596 older adults (681 men and 915 women, age: 65 to 84 years) living in an urban area in Japan were evaluated for aBMD of the femoral neck and lumbar spine using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.
The association between sports practiced in adolescents in sports clubs and aBMD in old age was analyzed using multiple regression analysis, with aBMD of the femoral neck and lumbar spine as dependent variables, and the type of sport and characteristics of the participants , such as age, body weight and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin. D level [25(OH)D], as independent variables.
For the femoral neck , basketball was associated with aBMD in older men (β = 0.079, p < 0.05) and women (β = 0.08, p < 0.01), while current body weight and 25(OH)D level were associated with aBMD in both sexes.
For the lumbar spine , volleyball (β = 0.08, p < 0.01) and swimming (β = 0.06, p < 0.05) were significantly associated with lumbar spine aBMD, while current body weight, 25(OH)D, and diabetes mellitus were associated with aBMD in older women.
Conclusion:
Both men and women who played basketball as teenagers had higher femoral neck BMD in old age. Additionally, women who played volleyball in adolescence had higher lumbar spine aBMD in old age.
Figure : Researchers from Juntendo University in Japan show that older adults who played high-impact sports during their teenage years reap long-term benefits in terms of bone health and increased bone mineral density.
What sports activities during adolescence improve bone mineral density in older adults?
Researchers from Juntendo University in Japan show that older adults who played high-impact sports during their adolescence suffer from long-term illnesses.
Loss of bone mineral density (BMD) with age is a major cause of osteoporosis (deterioration of bone tissue), which has been reported as a leading cause of falls among older adults in Japan. This causes fractures that require long-term care. Therefore, preventing osteoporosis in the aging population can help to substantially reduce disease burden and healthcare costs.
Early lifestyle habits can greatly influence health and the occurrence of diseases in old age. In this sense, physical activities carried out during adolescence can greatly contribute to preserving long-term health. These effects can largely be attributed to increased bone mass , which peaks during the 20s and subsequently begins to decline with age. In particular, studies have shown that a 10% increase in peak bone mass during adolescence can delay osteoporosis by up to 13 years .
However, it is unknown what types of sports activities performed by adolescents during the middle and high school years have a positive impact on BMD and bone health in older adults.
To close this gap, a team of researchers from Juntendo University, Japan, recently examined the relationship between the type of sport practiced during adolescence, along with specific individual characteristics, and BMD in old age.
The study, published in volume 14 of Frontiers in Physiology on October 12, 2023, was conducted by Professor Yoshifumi Tamura of the Faculty of International Liberal Arts, together with Ms. Hikaru Otsuka and Dr. Hiroki Tabata of the Center for Sports Medicine, Dr. Ryuzo Kawamori of the Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, and Dr. Hirotaka Watada of the Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology of the Graduate School of Medicine.
Offering more information on his findings, Professor Tamura explains: “It is difficult to increase BMD once it decreases. Therefore, it is important to increase peak bone mass during adolescence to maintain BMD in old age. “Our study sheds light on the importance of exercise in adolescence for the prevention of osteoporosis and provides scientific evidence to establish early preventive measures against osteoporosis in the future.”
The study included 1,596 older adults, ages 65 to 84, from the Bunkyo Health Study, residing in Bunkyo-Ku, an urban area of Tokyo, Japan. The researchers assessed their physical fitness, levels of blood biomarkers including vitamin D, and BMD of the femoral neck (upper region of the femur) and lumbar spine (lower region of the spine) regions using X-ray absorptiometry. dual energy.
Additionally, the subjects were interviewed to evaluate their participation in sports activities during adolescence. Other parameters, including comorbidities, lifestyle habits, medical history, and current medication status, were also recorded for analysis.
The researchers noted that while BMD values of the femoral neck and lumbar spine were in the normal range for men, women had lower values and a greater number were taking medications for osteoporosis.
In contrast, diabetes, physical activity, current smoking, and alcohol consumption were significantly higher in men. The most common sports activities among adolescents included baseball/softball, basketball, judo, table tennis, tennis, volleyball, and swimming .
The study found that basketball was associated with significantly high femoral BMD in older men and women. Furthermore, body weight and serum vitamin D levels were found to influence femoral BMD. In contrast, women who participated in volleyball and swimming had higher BMD in the lumbar spine.
However, sport type was not associated with lumbar spine BMD in older men. In particular, body weight, serum vitamin D, and the presence of diabetes were found to influence lumbar spine BMD.
Overall, these findings suggest that older adults who participated in high-impact sports activities in their adolescence experience greater BMD and bone health in later life. Furthermore, the researchers emphasize that the benefits of BMD are not only limited to athletes but also extend to those in the general population who had engaged in physical activities in middle and high school.
Early sporting activity, once undertaken as a hobby, may well lay the foundation for healthy bones throughout life. Considering the long-term impact on the health of older adults, high-impact sports activities that stimulate bone growth should be encouraged in primary and secondary schools.
“Physical exercise in adolescence affects BMD more than 50 years later in older adults. Our findings can guide the selection of sports practiced during adolescence for long-term health benefits,” concludes Professor Tamura.
