Research suggests that schools can help students develop a stronger bones and a healthier future - by encouraging growing bodies to be physically active.
When you think of osteoporosis, you tend to think of the elderly rather than the young. But while the effects of bone thinning hit hard in later life - 1 in 2 Australian women and 1 in 3 Australian men over 60 years will have an osteoporotic fracture - what we do as children and adolescents may play an important part in reducing the risk of a disease that is a major cause of chronic pain, disability and loss of independence.
The reason for this can be found in a study from Sweden that suggests those who are active early have stronger bones.
The researchers measured the tibia (shin) bones of 1068 men of 19 years of age, as well as asking them about their sporting histories. They found that those who had been consistently active sports players had consistently wider tibia bones than the young men who had always been inactive.
Even when the young men had stopped playing sports and become inactive up to 6.5 years previously, they still had noticeably thicker tibia bones than those who had never played sports.
One of the researchers, Martin Nilsson said, “This result is particularly important, because we know that a bone with a large circumference is more durable and resistant to fractures than a narrower bone.”
In a companion study, the researchers measured bone density in 500 men at 75 years of age and found that those who reported playing sports three times a week between the ages of 10 and 30 had thicker bones in several parts of their bodies.
"The bones respond best when you're young, and if you train and load them with your own bodyweight during these years, it has a stimulating effect on their development," said physiotherapist Nilsson.
Bones need to be subjected to a range of forces to grow best, so active games and activities that get students running, jumping, skipping and dancing are all great for building thicker, stronger bones. Weight training is also good for increasing bone strength, but should only be performed by children under the supervision of a qualified instructor.
Reference
Nilsson M, Ohlsson C, Mellström D, Lorentzon M (2009) Previous sport activity during childhood and adolescence is associated with increased cortical bone size in young adult men. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research 24(1):125-133.
Osteoporosis Australia (2007) What is Osteoporosis?. Viewed 27/07/2010. Available here.
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