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Muscle strength of the upper limbs & biological maturation: associations with bone mass in adolescent athletes of both sexes

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Abstract

The present study aimed to analyze the association between upper and lower limb muscle strength and biological maturation on bone mass in adolescent athletes and non-athletes of both sexes. The sample consisted of 105 adolescent men and women, 61% athletes and 39% non-athletes. Bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) were analyzed using dual energy X-ray bone densitometry. Strength of upper limbs (ULS), force handgrip (HG), vertical jump (VJ) and jump against movement (CMJ) were analyzed. Somatic maturation was verified using anthropometry. The strength of the upper limbs showed a high effect size on the bone mass of adolescent athletes of both sexes (Male: ƒ2 > 3.40; Female: ƒ2 > 3.30). Similar results were found for the group of non-athletes (Male: ƒ2 > 3.30; Female: ƒ2 > 2.20). Maturation showed a relevant effect size on bone mass in all groups (ƒ2 > 0.30). The strength of the upper limbs showed a high correlation with the bone mass of adolescent male non-athletes (BMD (ULS: r = 0.52; p = 0.01; HG: r = 0.63; p = 0.001); BMC (ULS: r = 0.52; p = 0.01; HG: r = 0.60; p = 0.001). Maturation correlated with bone mass in adolescent non-athletes of both sexes (p < 0.05). It was possible to conclude that the maturation and muscular strength of the upper limbs, as well as that of the lower limbs, point to a significant association with the bone mass of adolescents athletes and non-athletes of both sexes.

Graphic abstract

BMD (g/Cm2) Bone mineral density, BMC (g) Bone Mineral Content, ULS Upper Limbs Strength, HG HandGrip.

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Acknowledgements

For your support and encouragement for the development of this academic article, we thank the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), the Physical Activity and Health (AFISA) research base, the Child and Adolescent Maturation Research Group (GEPMAC). The National Council for Scientific Development (CNPQ) and the Higher Education Personnel Improvement Coordination (CAPES).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Education, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Avenue Senador Salgado Filho, 3000 Campus Central, Lagoa Nova, Natal, RN, 59078-970, Brazil

    Paulo Francisco de Almeida-Neto, Victor Sabino de Queiros, Vanessa Carla Monteiro Pinto, Alexandre Bulhões-Correia, Paulo Moreira Silva Dantas & Breno Guilherme de Araújo Tinôco Cabral

  2. Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Avenue Senador Salgado Filho, 3000 Campus Central, Lagoa Nova, Natal, RN, 59078-970, Brazil

    Paulo Francisco de Almeida-Neto, Victor Sabino de Queiros, Paulo Moreira Silva Dantas & Breno Guilherme de Araújo Tinôco Cabral

  3. Cardiovascular & Physiology of Exercise Laboratory, Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada

    Dihogo Gama de Matos

  4. Group of Studies and Research of Performance, Sport, Healt and Paralympic Sports GEPEPS, The Federal University of Sergipe, UFS, São Cristovão, Sergipe, Brazil

    Dihogo Gama de Matos & Felipe J. Aidar

  5. Setanta College, Thurles, Co. Tipperary, Ireland

    Ian Jeffreys & Felipe J. Aidar

  6. Department of Physical Education, Federal University of Sergipe—UFS, São Cristovão, Sergipe, Brazil

    Felipe J. Aidar

  7. Graduate Program in Master’s Level at Department of Physical Education, Federal University of Sergipe—UFS, São Cristovão, Sergipe, Brazil

    Felipe J. Aidar

  8. Program of Physiological Science, Federal University of Sergipe—UFS, São Cristovão, Sergipe, Brazil

    Felipe J. Aidar

Authors
  1. Paulo Francisco de Almeida-Neto
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  2. Dihogo Gama de Matos
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  3. Ian Jeffreys
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  4. Victor Sabino de Queiros
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  5. Felipe J. Aidar
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  6. Vanessa Carla Monteiro Pinto
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  7. Alexandre Bulhões-Correia
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  8. Paulo Moreira Silva Dantas
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  9. Breno Guilherme de Araújo Tinôco Cabral
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Contributions

Paulo Francisco de Almeida-Neto - main researcher, responsible for the concept/design, the data collection, the data analysis/interpretation and drafting the article. Ian Jeffreys and Dihogo Gama de Matos - drafting article and critical revision of the article. Victor de Queiros and Vanessa Carla Monteiro Pinto - participated in the concept/design, data analysis/interpretation and drafting article. Alexandre Bulhões-Correia and Felipe J. Aidar - participated in the data analysis/interpretation, drafting the article and critical revision of the article. Paulo Moreira Silva Dantas and Breno Guilherme de Araújo Tinôco Cabral - contributed to concept/design and participated in the data analysis/interpretation and critical revision of the article. All authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Paulo Francisco de Almeida-Neto.

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The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Ethical approval

This study was approved by the local ethics research committee (Opinion: 3.552.010) and followed all of the ethical standards set forth in the Helsinki Declaration.

Human and animal rights

The study was approved by the institutional ethics committee. This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.

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The sample in this study and their guardians signed the free and informed consent form, accepting to participate in the research.

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de Almeida-Neto, P.F., de Matos, D.G., Jeffreys, I. et al. Muscle strength of the upper limbs & biological maturation: associations with bone mass in adolescent athletes of both sexes. Sport Sci Health 18, 771–780 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-021-00855-3

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