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Adipocytokine and ghrelin levels in relation to bone mineral density in prepubertal rhythmic gymnasts entering puberty: a 3-year follow-up study

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Abstract

Purpose

To investigate changes in bone mineral density (BMD) in rhythmic gymnasts (RG) entering puberty and their age-matched untrained controls (UC) over the 36-month period, and associations with leptin, adiponectin and ghrelin over this period.

Methods

Whole body (WB), lumbar spine (LS) and femoral neck (FN) BMD, WB bone mineral content (BMC), and leptin, adiponectin and ghrelin were measured in 35 RG and 33 UC girls at baseline and at 12-month intervals over the next 3 years. The change over the 36 months was calculated (∆ score).

Results

The pubertal development over the next 36 months was slower in RG compard to UC, while there was no difference in bone age development between the groups. BMD at all sites was higher in RG in comparison with UC at every measurement point. ∆LS BMD and ∆FN BMD, but not ∆WB BMD and ∆WB BMC, were higher in RG compared with UC. None of the measured hormones at baseline or their ∆ scores correlated with ∆BMD and ∆BMC in RG. Baseline fat free mass correlated with ∆WB BMD and ∆WB BMC in RG, while baseline leptin was related to ∆WB BMC, ∆WB BMD and ∆LS BMD in UC.

Conclusions

Measured baseline hormones and their ∆ scores did not correlate with increases in bone mineral values in RG entering puberty. Although the pubertal development in RG was slower than in UC, high-intensity training appeared to increase BMD growth and counterbalance negative effects of slow pubertal develpment, lower fat mass and leptin in RG.

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Abbreviations

BMC:

Bone mineral content

BMD:

Bone mineral density

BMI:

Body mass index

FFM:

Fat free mass

FM:

Fat mass

FN:

Femoral neck

LS:

Lumbar spine

RG:

Rhythmic gymnasts

UC:

Untrained controls

WB:

Whole body

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by Estonian Ministry of Education and Science Institutional Grant IUT 20-58.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Sport Sciences and Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tartu, 18. Ülikooli St., 50090, Tartu, Estonia

    Kristel Võsoberg, Toivo Jürimäe & Jaak Jürimäe

  2. Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia

    Vallo Tillmann

  3. Tartu Health Care College, Tartu, Estonia

    Anna-Liisa Tamm

  4. Clinics of Traumatology and Orthopaedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia

    Katre Maasalu

Authors
  1. Kristel Võsoberg
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  2. Vallo Tillmann
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  3. Anna-Liisa Tamm
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  4. Toivo Jürimäe
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  5. Katre Maasalu
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  6. Jaak Jürimäe
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Correspondence to Jaak Jürimäe.

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Communicated by Olivier Seynnes.

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Võsoberg, K., Tillmann, V., Tamm, AL. et al. Adipocytokine and ghrelin levels in relation to bone mineral density in prepubertal rhythmic gymnasts entering puberty: a 3-year follow-up study. Eur J Appl Physiol 116, 831–839 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-016-3338-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-016-3338-6

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