The skeletal effects from intensive exercise throughout puberty are undefined. Forty-five female gymnasts and 52 controls were studied over 3 years, including a heredity aspect. The effects of size, maturity, exercise, and diet were identified using a multilevel regression model. Results demonstrated sustained skeletal benefits resulting from exercise throughout all stages of pubertal development.Introduction: Weight-bearing exercise is beneficial for peak bone mass development. However, whether skeletal benefits achieved with exercise are maintained if training remains intensive throughout the pubertal years is not entirely clear. The influence of familial resemblance for bone mass remains undefined in physically active versus inactive children. The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term influences of impact-loading exercise on bone quantity and quality in young females after controlling for growth, maturation, and hereditary factors. Materials and Methods: At baseline, 45 gymnasts (G) and 52 normally active controls (C) 8 -17 years of age were recruited. Anthropometry, diet, physical activity, and quantitative ultrasound (QUS) were measured annually for 3 consecutive years. DXA scans of total body (TB) and lumbar spine (LS) bone mineral content (BMC) and density (BMD) were taken three times at 1-year intervals. A multilevel regression model was fitted, and the independent effects of body size, maturity, physical activity, and diet were identified over time. To assess heredity influences, 27 G mothers and 26 C mothers volunteered for cross-sectional measurements of anthropometry, QUS, and BMC/BMD. Results and Conclusions: Gymnasts were smaller and lighter (as were their mothers) than controls, but they had significantly higher QUS and axial and appendicular BMC and BMD, with Ͼ170 g more bone mineral in TB across puberty (after adjustment for maturity [years from peak height velocity], height, weight, energy, and protein intake). Gymnasts had up to 24 -51% higher BMC and 13-28% higher BMD, depending on skeletal site. These results provide evidence of sustained skeletal benefits from impact-loading exercise, which are unlikely to result entirely from heredity, throughout pubertal years.

High levels of physical activity have been linked to benefits in cardiovascular and bone health by affecting, in part, changes in proinflammatory profile. Therefore, we have aimed to assess the effects of intensive training on markers of inflammation, endothelial activation and auto-immunity in the absence of the potential confounding effects of incident atherosclerosis. The subjects comprised 25 competitive gymnasts and 19 healthy sedentary adolescent females, aged 8-17 years. Serum soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (sICAM-1), high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), heat shock protein 27 (Hsp27) and Hsp27 antibody titres were measured by ELISAs in a sample of adolescent girls who were either physically active (competitive gymnasts) or sedentary. The association between age, body mass index (BMI), dietary intake, serum hsCRP, sICAM-1 and Hsp27 antigen and antibody titres were determined. The mean serum sICAM-1 concentrations were significantly higher in the gymnasts compared to the sedentary females (0.29 ± 0.02 versus 0.23 ± 0.01 mg·L -1 , p < 0.01). In contrast serum hsCRP concentrations were substantially lower in the gymnasts compared to the sedentary adolescent females (0.49 ± 0.03 versus 1.38 ± 0.19 mg·L -1 , p < 0.001). Differences remained significant after adjustment for anthropometric factors. We also found that serum Hsp27 antigen concentrations were determined by dietary saturated fat intake (p < 0.001), and antibody titres to Hsp27 were determined by dietary PUFA (p < 0.001) after adjustment for BMI. Our findings show that young female gymnasts have an altered profile of inflammatory markers and endothelial activation compared to their less physically active peers.

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CRP is an inflammatory marker that has been shown to be affected by dietary factors. Recent investigations suggest that physical activity (PA) may be associated with reduced serum CRP levels (1) . Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) is a trans-membrane glycoprotein that plays a key role in leucocyte migration and activation. ICAM-1 is up regulated on activated endothelial cells and its soluble form (sICAM-1) is increased in athletes (2) . Intense physical training (3) and dietary factors (4) may also effect its serum concentrations, although confounding effects of diet and adiposity have not been taken into account. Furthermore, many of these studies have been conducted in adults, in whom the onset of atherosclerosis may be a further confounding issue.The aim was to assess whether serum sICAM-1 and hsCRP differ between physically-active female gymnasts and inactive females who were part of a 3-year longitudinal bone investigation (5) . A further aim was to assess the association between these two variables and BMI, dietary intake and PA. Healthy girls, including twenty-five competitive gymnasts and nineteen healthy sedentary individuals aged 8-17 years (13.0°0.7 years; 12.0°0.5 years) respectively, were recruited. Human sICAM-1 and hsCRP were measured using commercial ELISA.Serum sICAM (mg/L) was significantly higher in the gymnasts compared with the sedentary girls (0.23 (SE 0.01) v. 0.29 (SE 0.015); P < 0.003), whilst serum hsCRP concentrations (mg/L) were significantly lower (0.49 (SE 0.03) v.