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Peripubertal moderate exercise increases bone mass in boys but not in girls: a population-based intervention study

Sundberg, Martin LU orcid ; Gärdsell, P ; Johnell, Olof LU ; Karlsson, M K LU ; Ornstein, Ewald LU ; Sandstedt, B and Sernbo, Ingemar LU (2001) In Osteoporosis International 12(3). p.230-238
Abstract
On the basis of cross-sectional studies in elite athletes and longitudinal studies, physical activity in growing children has been suggested to enhance bone mineral acquisition and prevent osteoporosis later in life. The level of exercise in most of these studies is not applicable in a population on a day-to-day basis. The aim of this study was to determine whether moderate increased exercise within the school curriculum from age 12 to 16 years would have anabolic bone effects. In a population-based setting of 40 boys and 40 girls the school curriculum was enhanced to physical education 4 times per week for 3-4 years. Controls were 82 boys and 66 girls who had had physical education twice a week over a corresponding period. Both cases and... (More)
On the basis of cross-sectional studies in elite athletes and longitudinal studies, physical activity in growing children has been suggested to enhance bone mineral acquisition and prevent osteoporosis later in life. The level of exercise in most of these studies is not applicable in a population on a day-to-day basis. The aim of this study was to determine whether moderate increased exercise within the school curriculum from age 12 to 16 years would have anabolic bone effects. In a population-based setting of 40 boys and 40 girls the school curriculum was enhanced to physical education 4 times per week for 3-4 years. Controls were 82 boys and 66 girls who had had physical education twice a week over a corresponding period. Both cases and controls were measured at age 16 years. Bone mineral content (BMC), areal bone mineral density (aBMD), bone size (femoral neck width) and volumetric BMD (vBMD) were measured in total body, spine and femoral neck (FN) by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Data are presented as mean +/- SD. BMC (8 +/- 15%, p = 0.04), aBMD (9 +/- 13%, p = 0.002) and vBMD (9 +/- 15%, p = 0.001) were all higher in FN in the male intervention group compared with controls. FN bone size was no higher in the intervention group than in the controls. In girls, no differences were found when comparing the intervention group with controls. The results remained after adjusting for confounding factors such as weight, height, milk intake and activity after school. In summary, we report that increased bone mass can be achieved in a population-based cohort of boys (but not in girls) by moderate increased physical activity within the school curriculum from age 12 to 16 years. We speculate that the same results can be seen in girls if intervention starts at an earlier age. We conclude that increasing the physical education content of the Swedish school curriculum may improve bone mass in at least peripubertal boys. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Adolescents, Bone mineral density, Intervention, Moderate exercise, Population-based
in
Osteoporosis International
volume
12
issue
3
pages
230 - 238
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • pmid:11315242
  • scopus:0035075829
ISSN
1433-2965
DOI
10.1007/s001980170134
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
b660207b-4fa1-41c6-b8c5-b3bf451d2785 (old id 1120540)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 15:57:41
date last changed
2022-03-14 21:09:37
@article{b660207b-4fa1-41c6-b8c5-b3bf451d2785,
  abstract     = {{On the basis of cross-sectional studies in elite athletes and longitudinal studies, physical activity in growing children has been suggested to enhance bone mineral acquisition and prevent osteoporosis later in life. The level of exercise in most of these studies is not applicable in a population on a day-to-day basis. The aim of this study was to determine whether moderate increased exercise within the school curriculum from age 12 to 16 years would have anabolic bone effects. In a population-based setting of 40 boys and 40 girls the school curriculum was enhanced to physical education 4 times per week for 3-4 years. Controls were 82 boys and 66 girls who had had physical education twice a week over a corresponding period. Both cases and controls were measured at age 16 years. Bone mineral content (BMC), areal bone mineral density (aBMD), bone size (femoral neck width) and volumetric BMD (vBMD) were measured in total body, spine and femoral neck (FN) by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Data are presented as mean +/- SD. BMC (8 +/- 15%, p = 0.04), aBMD (9 +/- 13%, p = 0.002) and vBMD (9 +/- 15%, p = 0.001) were all higher in FN in the male intervention group compared with controls. FN bone size was no higher in the intervention group than in the controls. In girls, no differences were found when comparing the intervention group with controls. The results remained after adjusting for confounding factors such as weight, height, milk intake and activity after school. In summary, we report that increased bone mass can be achieved in a population-based cohort of boys (but not in girls) by moderate increased physical activity within the school curriculum from age 12 to 16 years. We speculate that the same results can be seen in girls if intervention starts at an earlier age. We conclude that increasing the physical education content of the Swedish school curriculum may improve bone mass in at least peripubertal boys.}},
  author       = {{Sundberg, Martin and Gärdsell, P and Johnell, Olof and Karlsson, M K and Ornstein, Ewald and Sandstedt, B and Sernbo, Ingemar}},
  issn         = {{1433-2965}},
  keywords     = {{Adolescents; Bone mineral density; Intervention; Moderate exercise; Population-based}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{230--238}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Osteoporosis International}},
  title        = {{Peripubertal moderate exercise increases bone mass in boys but not in girls: a population-based intervention study}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s001980170134}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s001980170134}},
  volume       = {{12}},
  year         = {{2001}},
}