Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Effect of previous and present physical activity on bone mass in elderly women

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Osteoporosis International Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The importance of a physically active lifestyle as a preventive measure for maintaining bone mass is often stressed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of everyday physical activity on bone mass from young adulthood to old age in 75-year-old women. Bone mineral density (BMD) was assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry technique in total body, hip (femoral neck and trochanter), and spine (LII–LIV) in a population-based cohort of 995 women, all 75 years old. Each woman responded to a questionnaire giving an estimate of the previous and present physical activity level at work and leisure time from youth and up to the present age of 75 years. No correlations were found between the different estimates of physical activity level and BMD. In a multiple regression analysis the different estimates of physical activity level did not have any combined effect on BMD in any of the skeletal regions measured; neither did the physical activity, previous or present, differ when the subgroup of women with a BMD in the highest quintile at all sites was compared with women with a BMD in the lowest quintile. The activity level in the various areas of life did not correlate to each other indicating that few women had chosen a generally active vs non-active lifestyle. A hypothetical positive effect on bone by one activity could therefore be diminished by another. The answer alternatives were mostly not normally distributed, which could also affect the results, making it difficult to identify women with extremely high or low physical activity level. In conclusion, the results from this study of randomly selected elderly women cannot confirm an effect of previous and present everyday physical activity on bone mass. Neither was it possible to find an effect of physical activity in those women with the highest BMD at all sites, suggesting that other factors are of greater importance for maintaining bone mass in elderly women.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Alfredson H, Nordström P, Lorentzon R (1997) Aerobic workout and bone mass in females. Scand J Med Sci Sports 7:336–341

    Google Scholar 

  2. Valdimarson O, Kristinsson JO, Stefansson SO, Valdimarsson S, Sigurdsson G (1999) Lean mass and physical activity as predictors of bone mineral density in 16- to 20-year-old women. J Intern Med 245:489–496

    Google Scholar 

  3. Söderman K, Bergström E, Lorentzon R, Alfredson H (2000) Bone mass and muscle strength in young female soccer players. Calcif Tissue Int 67:297–303

    Google Scholar 

  4. Dalsky GP, Stocke KS, Ehsani AA, Slatopolsky E, Lee WC, Birge SJ Jr (1988) Weight-bearing exercise training and lumbar bone mineral content in postmenopausal women. Ann Intern Med 108:824–828

    Google Scholar 

  5. Nelson ME, Fiatarone MA, Morganti CM, Trice I, Greenberg RA, Evans WJ (1994) Effects of high-intensity strength training on multiple risk factors for osteoporotic fractures. A randomized controlled trial. J Am Med Assoc 272:1909–1914

    Google Scholar 

  6. Kerr D, Morton A, Dick I, Prince R (1996) Exercise effects on bone mass in postmenopausal women are site-specific and load-dependent. J Bone Miner Res 11:218–225

    Google Scholar 

  7. Kerr D, Ackland T, Maslen B, Morton A, Prince R (2001) Resistance training over 2 years increases bone mass in calcium-replete postmenopausal women. J Bone Miner Res 16:175–181

    Google Scholar 

  8. Kohrt WM, Ehsani AA, Birge SJ Jr (1997) Effects of exercise involving predominantly either joint-reaction or ground-reaction forces on bone mineral density in older women. J Bone Miner Res 12:1253–1261

    Google Scholar 

  9. Karlsson M, Lindén C, Karlsson C, Johnell O, Obrant KJ, Seeman E (2000) Exercise during growth and bone mineral density and fractures in old age. Lancet 355:469–470

    Google Scholar 

  10. Karlsson MK, Johnell O, Obrant KJ (1995) Is bone mineral density advantage maintained long-term in previous weight lifters? Calcif Tissue Int 57:325–328

    Google Scholar 

  11. Jónsson B (1993) Life style and fracture risk. Thesis, Lund University, Lund, pp 39–56

  12. Jónsson B, Gardsell P, Johnell O, Sernbo I, Gullberg B (1993) Life-style and different fracture prevalence: a cross-sectional comparative population-based study. Calcif Tissue Int 52:452–533

    Google Scholar 

  13. Snow-Harter C, Bouxsein ML, Lewis BT, Carter DR, Marcus R (1999) Effects of resistance and endurance exercise on bone mineral status of young women: a randomized exercise intervention trial. J Bone Miner Res 7:761–769

    Google Scholar 

  14. Lohman T, Going S, Pamenter R et al. (1995) Effects of resistance training on regional and total bone mineral density in premenopausal women: a randomized prospective study. J Bone Miner Res 10:1015–1024

    Google Scholar 

  15. Kelley GA (1998) Aerobic exercise and bone density at the hip in postmenopausal women: a meta-analysis. Prev Med 27:798–807

    Google Scholar 

  16. Rutherford OM (1999) Is there a role for exercise in the prevention of osteoporotic fractures? Br J Sports Med 33:378–386

    Google Scholar 

  17. Karlsson M, Bass S, Seeman E (2001) The evidence that exercise during growth or adulthood reduces the risk for fragility fractures is weak. Best Practice Clin Res 15:429–450

    Google Scholar 

  18. Hannan MT, Felson DT, Dawson-Hughes B et al. (2000) Risk factors for longitudinal bone loss in elderly men and women: The Framingham Osteoporosis Study. J Bone Miner Res 15:710–719

    Google Scholar 

  19. Puntila E, Kröger H, Lakka T, Tuppurainen M, Jurvelin J, Honkanen R (2001) Leisure-time physical activity and rate of bone loss among peri- and postmenopausal women: a longitudinal study. Bone 29:442–446

    Google Scholar 

  20. Blair SN, Dowda M, Pate RR et al. (1991) Reliability of long-term recall of participation in physical activity by middle-aged men and women. Am J Epidemiol 133:266–275

    Google Scholar 

  21. Falkner KL, Trevisan M, McCann SE (1999) Reliability of recall of physical activity in the distant past. Am J Epidemiol 150:195–205

    Google Scholar 

  22. Slattery ML, Jacobs DR Jr (1995) Assessment of ability to recall physical activity of several years ago. Ann Epidemiol 5:292–296

    Google Scholar 

  23. Gardsell, Johnell O, Nilsson BE, Sernbo I (1991) Bone mass in an urban and a rural population: a comparative, population based study in southern Sweden. J Bone Miner Res 6:67–75

Download references

Acknowledgements

Financial support was obtained from the Swedish Medical Research Council, Trygg-Hansa Research Fund, Malmö University Hospital Research Funds, and the Greta and Johan Kock Foundation.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedics, Malmö University Hospital, 205 02 , Malmö, Sweden

    P. Gerdhem, K. Åkesson & K. J. Obrant

Authors
  1. P. Gerdhem
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. K. Åkesson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. K. J. Obrant
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to P. Gerdhem.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Gerdhem, P., Åkesson, K. & Obrant, K.J. Effect of previous and present physical activity on bone mass in elderly women. Osteoporos Int 14, 208–212 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-002-1362-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-002-1362-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation