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Sports Participation in High School and College Leads to High Bone Density and Greater Rates of Bone Loss in Young Men: Results from a Population-Based Study

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Abstract

Estimated lifetime risk of an osteoporotic fracture in men over the age of 50 years is substantial and lifestyle factors such as physical activity may explain variation in bone mass and bone loss associated with aging. Men (n = 253) aged 20–66 years were followed for 7.5 years and factors that influence changes in means and rates of change in bone mass, density, and size using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) were investigated; in particular, seasons of sports participation during high school and college. Men with greater sports participation had higher total hip bone mineral content (BMC) (48.4 ± 0.9 and 48.6 ± 0.9 g for 7–12 and 13+ seasons vs. 45.6 ± 0.8 and 45.4 ± 0.7 g for 0 and 1–6 seasons, respectively p < 0.05) and areal bone mineral density (aBMD) (1.082 ± 0.015 and 1.087 ± 0.015 g/cm2 for 7–12 and 13+ seasons vs. 1.011 ± 0.015 and 1.029 ± 0.013 g/cm2 for 0 and 1–6 seasons, respectively p < 0.05) than men who participated in less sport-seasons. However, men with higher sports participation also had greater rates of bone loss in their mid-twenties at the hip (BMC − 0.8 and − 1.2% and aBMD − 0.8 and − 0.9% for 7–12 and 13+ seasons of sport participation, respectively) compared to those with 0 seasons of sport participation (BMC − 0.6% and aBMD − 0.6%) (all p < 0.05). Similar results were observed for femoral neck aBMD. Men with 7+ seasons of sport participation had higher cross-sectional area at the 20% distal radius site than those with no sports participation (all p < 0.05). These findings support significant effects of high school and/or college sports participation on bone mass and geometry in men throughout adulthood.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the participants for their time, effort, and commitment that they put into the study. The National Institutes of Health Grant #R01-AR47852 and the EA Martin Endowment in Human Nutrition, South Dakota State University supported this project.

Funding

The study was funded by National Institutes of Health Grant #R01-AR47852 and the EA Martin Endowment in Human Nutrition, South Dakota State University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. EA Martin Program, South Dakota State University, Box 506, Wecota Hall, Brookings, SD, 57007, USA

    Maggie M. Minett, Lee Weidauer, Howard E. Wey, Teresa L. Binkley, Tianna M. Beare & Bonny L. Specker

  2. College of Nursing, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD, 57007, USA

    Howard E. Wey

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  1. Maggie M. Minett
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  2. Lee Weidauer
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Contributions

MM and BS prepared the first draft of the paper. MM is guarantor. HW, BS, and MM were responsible for statistical analysis and interpretation of the data. BS obtained funding. All authors contributed to the study data collection, critical review of the paper, and approved the final version.

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Correspondence to Maggie M. Minett.

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Conflict of interest

Maggie M. Minett, Lee Weidauer, Howard E. Wey, Teresa L. Binkley, Tianna M. Beare, and Bonny L. Specker declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical Approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institution and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

Written informed consent was obtained from all participants and the SDSU Institutional Review Board approved the protocol [#010103].

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Minett, M.M., Weidauer, L., Wey, H.E. et al. Sports Participation in High School and College Leads to High Bone Density and Greater Rates of Bone Loss in Young Men: Results from a Population-Based Study. Calcif Tissue Int 103, 5–15 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00223-017-0383-z

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