Bone Mineral Density and Body Composition in Elderly Runners: Six-Year Follow-Up

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate bone mineral density (BMD) and body composition over a six-year period in elderly long-distance runners. Methods: We analyzed the medical records of elderly athletes who were long-distance runners, were participants of the IOT-HCFMUSP Orthogeriatric Group, and had their BMD evaluated between 2001 and 2007; of these athletes, 11 were included in the study. Inclusion criteria: athletes should be long-distance runners, should not stop long-distance running during the six-year period, and should have undergone BMD and body composition evaluations. Body composition was evaluated using bone densitometry with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry with a Lunar-DPX device. Results: Over the six-year period, body composition remained stable, but there was a significant increase only in the fat percentage (p = 0.003). Conclusion: Long-distance running may maintain BMD but may lead to an increase in the fat percentage in elderly runners. Level of Evidence II; Prognostic Study - Investigating the Effect of Patient Characteristics on Disease Outcome.

Dynamic Postural Balance Is Mediated by Anthropometry and Body Composition in Older Women

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Differences in Body Composition of Upper and Lower Limbs in Elite Taekwondo Athletes

“…As indicated above, the high scores of non-aquatic athletes due to terrestrial exercises appear to result in a greater effect on BMD and BMC. Despite the positive effect of exercise on BMD, it is difficult to correlate between BMD and athlete performance (Alonso et al, 2019). Among the athletes, the higher body weight seems to suggest a higher BMD (Byun et al, 2015).…”