Common Questions
Can the initiation of exercise in young girls help prevent osteoporosis?
Research shows that:
- Childhood physical activity contributes to the development of maximal peak bone mass and thus should help prevent or delay the development of osteoporosis (1, 2).
- Peak bone mass is reached in most women by their late 20s to early 30s.
- Several placebo-controlled trials have shown that children randomized to high-impact exercise (jumping) have greater gains in BMD as compared to controls (3).
- The benefits of exercise may be even greater if initiated during the premenarcheal period in girls (4).
- Exercise recommendations should be moderate, since exercise-induced amenorrhea can result in decreased BMD (5, 6).
- NIH Consensus Development Panel on Osteoporosis Prevention, Diagnosis, and Therapy. JAMA 2001; 285(6): 785-95.
- Khan K, McKay HA, Haapasalo H, Bennell KL, Forwood MR, Kannus P, Wark JD. Does childhood and adolescence provide a unique opportunity for exercise to strengthen the skeleton?. J Sci Med Sport 2000; 3(2): 150-64.
- Fuchs RK, Bauer JJ, Snow CM. Jumping improves hip and lumbar spine bone mass in prepubescent children. A randomized controlled trial.. J Bone Miner Res 2001; 16(1): 148-156.
- Heinonen A, Sievanen H, Kannus P, Oja P, Pasanen M, Vuori I. High-impact exercise and bones of growing girls: A 9-month controlled trial. Osteoporos Int 2000; 11(12): 1010-7.
- Hobart JA, Smucker DR. The female athlete triad. Am Fam Physician 2000; 61(11): 3357-64, 3367.
- American Academy of Pediatrics. Physical fitness and activity in schools.. Pediatrics 2000; 105(5): 1156-7.