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Marathon running accompanied by transient decreases in urinary calcium and serum osteocalcin levels

Calcified Tissue International volume 52, pages 209–211 (1993)Cite this article

Summary

We evaluated the effects of marathon running on bone metabolism in 23 noncompetitive athletes (15 women, 8 men, age range 23–55 years). The volunteers were studied 10 days before, immediately after, and 1, 3, and 5 days after the run. Serum osteocalcin levels were decreased on average by 20% (from 4.9 to 3.9 μg/liter, P=0.005) in men and by 10% (from 4.9 to 4.4 μg/liter, P<0.05) in women at the end of the marathon, with lowest osteocalcin levels (67–55% of the prerun levels) encountered 1 day after the marathon. The activity of bone alkaline phosphatase was decreased in women (from 66.3 to 62.3 U/liter, P<0.05) after the run, and this drop was detectable at each checkup after the run. Urinary excretion of calcium was lowered on average by 82% in men (from 2.8 to 0.5 μmol/minute, P<0.05) and by 76% in women (from 2.5 to 0.6 μmol/minute, P<0.005) after the run, but had already returned to prerun levels 1 day after the marathon. Urinary excretion of hydroxyproline tended to rise in both men and women, but the change did not reach statistical significance in either sex. These changes suggest a transient suppression in osteoblast function during the marathon.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. I-II Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Haartmaninkatu 2, SF-00290, Helsinki, Finland

    Heli T. Malm

  2. II Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Haartmaninkatu 2, SF-00290, Helsinki, Finland

    Hennele M. Ronni-Sivula & Olavi R. Ylikorkala

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  1. Heli T. Malm
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  2. Hennele M. Ronni-Sivula
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  3. Lasse U. Viinikka
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  4. Olavi R. Ylikorkala
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Children's Hospital

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Malm, H.T., Ronni-Sivula, H.M., Viinikka, L.U. et al. Marathon running accompanied by transient decreases in urinary calcium and serum osteocalcin levels. Calcif Tissue Int 52, 209–211 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00298720

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00298720

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