INSPO Fitness Journal May 2017

Strength training for
STRONG
BONES
Bone mineral density (BMD) is
something most men and women become
aware of as they age or after their first
broken bone.
BY KRISTINA DRILLER
It is the mineral density of your bones that
has a large part to play in whether you
sustain a broken bone from a fall or slip, as
a reduced BMD results in an increased risk
of fracture.
A reduced BMD is known as osteopenia
that can progress to osteoporosis, with osteoporosis
being considered the more advanced
form of bone disease, which is a result of a
significant deterioration of bone tissue. Osteoporosis
is usually an age-related disease and
is often treated with prescription medication,
calcium and vitamin D supplements 1 .
Exercise as medicine, for osteopenia and
osteoporosis, particularly resistance training
and bounding movements, has been clearly
shown to maintain and improve BMD in
elderly population groups 2 , premenopausal 3
and postmenopausal 4 women.
Surprisingly, young athletes can be at a
higher risk of poor bone health, arising from
what’s known as relative energy deficiency in
sport (RED-S) which expands upon the more
commonly known female athlete triad.
RED-S is where energy intake is insufficient
to meet the demands of energy output
and can result in issues with health, daily
functioning and growth, which can then
go on to affect bone health, menstruation,
metabolism, immunity, psychological and
cardiovascular health and protein synthesis.
It is interesting to note this condition can
affect both male and female athletes 5 . The
female athlete triad is well researched and is
a syndrome identified in female athletes by
assessing menstrual disturbance (amenorrhea),
low energy availability (with or without
disordered eating) and how this affects bone
health and can contribute to a low BMD 6 . We
know that during adolescence the foundation
is laid for bone health and something we now
know is that osteoporosis can become an
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30 INSPO – FITNESS JOURNAL MAY 2017