Exercise key to healthy bones

A Canadian conference has highlighted the importance of exercise in children and adolescents for building peak bone mass that will help protect against osteoporosis in later life.

Researchers at Wright State University School of Medicine in Ohio U.S.A. found that leisure activity has a significant impact on bone mass increase in both girls and boys. Lead author Miryoung Lee followed a group of 99 children aged 8 to 18 to determine how changes in physical activity affected the strength of their bones. Lee concluded that leisure activity increased bone density in both boys and girls.

While the type of leisure activity that boys completed had little effect on the results, it was found that more intense physical activities such as sports lead to greater bone density in girls.

"During childhood and adolescence, children's bodies grow rapidly and bone mass is accumulated quickly. The amount of bone built during adolescence and early adulthood is one of the most important factors related to the risk of developing osteoporosis in later years. These findings confirm that physical activity is important for optimal bone accrual during childhood, consequently leading to higher peak bone mass," Lee said.

"It is, however, more important for girls to exercise during childhood because they are at greater risk of osteoporosis later in life," Lee said.

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Remember: Exercise in children and adolescents is important for building peak bone mass that will help prevent osteoporosis in later life.

Source: copyright IOF World Congress on Osteoporosis. Toronto, Canada, 2006
http://www.osteofound.org/wco/2006/media_centre.php