Exercise is necessary for bone health

Physical inactivity has potential repercussions on health. A group of researchers from the University of British Columbia and the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute determined the effects of physical activity and sedentary time on bone strength during adolescence. In their study, published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, it was revealed that physical activity is beneficial for bone strength while a sedentary lifestyle has both positive and negative effects on the bones.

• Adolescence is an important time for bone development since at this period the benefits of physical activity and weight-bearing exercise on the bone strength are maximized.
• These days, adolescents spend approximately 60 percent of their day being sedentary; so it is important to establish whether physical inactivity has its own effects on health or if it only offsets the benefits acquired from physical activity.
• The researchers conducted a clinical trial involving participants aged nine to 20 years old. Effects of physical and sedentary activities on the bone strength of the radius and tibia were evaluated.

From the results of the study, the researchers concluded that physical activity was beneficial to bone strength especially during early to mid-puberty. They also observed that sedentary activity was beneficial to bone microarchitecture but was detrimental to bone geometry.

Read the full text of the study at this link.

Learn more about the different health benefits of regular exercise by visiting Health.news today.

Journal Reference:

Gabel L, Macdonald HM, Nettlefold L, Mckay HA. PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, SEDENTARY TIME, AND BONE STRENGTH FROM CHILDHOOD TO EARLY ADULTHOOD: A MIXED LONGITUDINAL HR-PQCT STUDY. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. 22 March 2017;32(7). DOI: 10.1002/jbmr.3115