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Endocrine parameters in association with bone mineral accrual in young female vocational ballet dancers

Archives of Osteoporosis volume 14, Article number: 46 (2019) Cite this article

Abstract

Summary

Less is known on bone mass gains in dancers involved in vocational dance training. The present study found that, as young vocational dancers progress on their professional training, their bone health remains consistently lower compared to non-exercising controls. Endocrine mechanisms do not seem to explain these findings.

Purpose

Little is known on bone mass development in dancers involved in vocational training. The aim of the present study was to model bone mineral content (BMC) accruals and to determine whether circulating levels of oestrogens, growth hormone (GH), and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-1) explain differences in bone mass gains between vocational dance students and matched controls.

Methods

The total of 67 vocational female dancers (VFDs) and 68 aged-matched controls (12.1 ± 1.9 years and 12.7 ± 2.0 years at baseline, respectively) were followed for two consecutive years (34 VFD and 31 controls remained in the study for the full duration). BMC was evaluated annually at impact [femoral neck (FN); lumbar spine (LS)] and non-impact sites (forearm) using DXA. Anthropometry, age at menarche (questionnaire), and hormone serum concentrations (immunoradiometric assays) were also assessed for the same period.

Results

VFD demonstrated consistently reduced body weight (p < 0.001) and BMC at all three anatomical sites (p < 0.001) compared to controls throughout the study period. Menarche, body weight, GH, and IGF-1 were significantly associated with bone mass changes over time (p < 0.05) but did not explain group differences in BMC gains at impact sites (p > 0.05). However, body weight did explain the differences between groups in terms of BMC gains at the forearm (non-impact site).

Conclusion

Two consecutive years of vocational dance training revealed that young female dancers demonstrate consistently lower bone mass compared to controls at both impact and non-impact sites. The studied endocrine parameters do not seem to explain group differences in terms of bone mass gains at impact sites.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Centre for Sport, Exercise and Performance, Faculty of Education, Health and Wellbeing, University of Wolverhampton, Walsall Campus, Gorway Rd, Walsall, WS1 3BD, UK

    Tânia Amorim, George S. Metsios, Alan Nevill, Matthew Wyon & Yiannis Koutedakis

  2. Centre of Research, Education, Innovation and Intervention in Sport, Faculty of Sports, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal

    Tânia Amorim, Thayse N. Gomes & José Maia

  3. FAME Laboratory, Department of Exercise Science, University of Thessaly, Trikala, Greece

    Tânia Amorim & Andreas D. Flouris

  4. School of Sports and Exercise Sciences, University of Thessaly, Trikala, Greece

    George S. Metsios, Andreas D. Flouris, Athanasios Z. Jamurtas & Yiannis Koutedakis

  5. Department of Physical Education, Federal University of Sergipe, Aracaju, Brazil

    Thayse N. Gomes

  6. National Institute of Dance Medicine and Science, Birmingham, UK

    Matthew Wyon

  7. Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal

    Franklim Marques

  8. School of Health Technology of Porto, Polytechnic Institute of Porto, Porto, Portugal

    Luísa Nogueira & Nuno Adubeiro

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  1. Tânia Amorim
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  2. George S. Metsios
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  10. Athanasios Z. Jamurtas
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  11. José Maia
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tânia Amorim.

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All participants provided signed informed consent according to the Declaration of Helsinki. The study was approved by the ethics committee of the Regional Administration of Health of Lisbon, Portugal (Proc.063/CES/INV/201).

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Amorim, T., Metsios, G.S., Flouris, A.D. et al. Endocrine parameters in association with bone mineral accrual in young female vocational ballet dancers. Arch Osteoporos 14, 46 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11657-019-0596-z

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Keywords

  • Bone health
  • Children
  • Endocrinology
  • Performance
  • Training
  • BMC