05 May 2010
The positive effects of exercise while growing up seem to last longer than previously believed. New findings suggest that physical activity when young increases bone density and size, which may mean a reduced risk of osteoporosis later in life, reveals a study from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
The researchers studied bone density throughout the body in around 500 randomly selected 75–year–old men. Those who had done competitive sports three or more times a week at some point between the ages of 10 and 30 had higher bone density in several parts of the body than those who had not.
The researchers have therefore established that there is a positive link between exercise while young and bone density and size. The connection is even stronger if account is taken of the type of sports done.
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. This may be important for bone strength much later in life too, so reducing the risk of brittle bones said the researchers.
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