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Past sporting activity during growth induces greater bone mineral content and enhances bone geometry in young men and women

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Abstract

We aimed to determine the effect of past sporting activity on bone mineral content (BMC), areal bone mineral density (aBMD) in the lumbar spine and proximal femur, and bone geometry of the mid femur in young men and women. We assessed 142 subjects, comprising 79 young men (21.2 ± 0.8 years) and 63 premenopausal young women (21.4 ± 0.6 years). The subjects were classified into three groups, two on the basis of the age of starting to participate in sport [elementary school starters (6–12 years), junior high school to university starters (13–22 years)], and the third group had no participation in sport. We measured BMC and aBMD by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in the lumbar spine and proximal femur, and bone geometric characteristics of the mid femur by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and calculated the osteogenic index (OI) of previous sporting activity. The OI correlated significantly with many MRI-determined measures of bone geometry; DXA-measured BMC and aBMD were effective indicators of previous sporting activity in both sexes. The female elementary school starters had significantly greater femoral mid-diaphyseal perimeters (vs the no-sport group), bone cross-sectional area (vs the 13–22-year-old starters and the no-sport group), and maximum and minimum second moment of area at the mid-diaphysis point of the femur (vs the no-sport group). The OI is a proven practicable and useful index. DXA- and MRI-determined geometric characteristics showed that high-impact, weight-bearing exercise before and in early puberty induces greater total proximal femur BMC and enhances femoral mid-diaphyseal size and shape, and that these benefits persisted in young adult women.

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Acknowledgments

This study was financially supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (KAKENHI) from the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology does not have any involvement in study design, interpretation of data and in the decision to submit the paper for publication.

Conflict of interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Nutrition, Faculty of Health Science, Suzuka University of Medical Science, Kishioka, 1001-1, Suzuka, 510-0293, Japan

    Takeru Kato

  2. Mie-Chuo Medical Center, National Hospital Organization, 2158-5 Hisaimyojin-cho, Tsu, 514-1101, Mie, Japan

    Masato Niwa

  3. Department of Clinical Radiation, Faculty of Health Science, Suzuka University of Medical Science, Kishioka, 1001-1, Suzuka, 510-0293, Japan

    Takenori Yamashita

  4. Laboratory for Exercise Physiology and Biomechanics, School of Health and Sport Sciences, Chukyo University, Kaizu-cho, Toyota, 470-0393, Japan

    Minoru Matumoto & Yoshihisa Umemura

Authors
  1. Takeru Kato
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  2. Masato Niwa
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  3. Takenori Yamashita
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  4. Minoru Matumoto
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  5. Yoshihisa Umemura
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Correspondence to Takeru Kato.

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Kato, T., Niwa, M., Yamashita, T. et al. Past sporting activity during growth induces greater bone mineral content and enhances bone geometry in young men and women. J Bone Miner Metab 33, 569–576 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00774-014-0620-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00774-014-0620-8

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