Effect of past gymnastics participation on adult bone mass

Abstract

The purposes of this study were to determine bone mineral density (BMD) of former female college gymnasts (FG; n = 18) and controls (FC; n = 15) by using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (Hologic QDR 1000W) and to examine the relationships between current and former activity levels, diet, menstrual history and BMD. Current physical activity, dietary intake, and menstrual irregularity were assessed with the use of standardized questionnaires. A study-designed questionnaire was used to assess past physical activity. The BMDs of the FG were significantly higher (P < 0.001) than the BMDs of FC for the lumbar spine, femoral neck, Ward's triangle, and whole body, even when the influences of current and past physical activity levels were statistically controlled via analysis of covariance. FG and FC did not differ in nutrient intakes, and there were no BMD differences between FG who always had regular menstrual cycles vs. those who had an interruption (> or = 3 mo) of their menstrual cycle in the past. The higher BMD in FG compared with FC suggests that past participation in college gymnastics may provide a residual effect on adult BMD.

Higher premenarcheal bone mass in elite gymnasts is maintained into young adulthood after long-term retirement from sport: A 14-year follow-up

“…(31,32) The authors speculated that although some advantages may be lost, these findings suggest that there is a residual benefit of gymnastics participation on bone mass that carries on years after gymnastics participation of the retired gymnasts had ended. (23) However, the active collegiate gymnasts and retired gymnasts in the previous studies were not the same individuals; therefore, the observed differences between groups could also be related to differences in genetics or gymnastics exposure (i.e., years or level of training).…”

“…(15,17,31) Kirchner and colleagues (23,32) examined current and retired collegiate-level gymnasts and found that both groups had significantly higher aBMD compared with nongymnasts but that the relation was more pronounced in the active college-level gymnasts compared with retired gymnasts. For example, lumbar spine aBMD was 18% greater in collegiate gymnasts and 16% in retired gymnasts and femoral neck aBMD was 22% greater in collegiate gymnasts compared with 18% greater in retired gymnasts.…”

“…(9,(18)(19)(20)(21)(22) Retired artistic female gymnasts also have significantly higher aBMD values when compared with nongymnasts, with differences ranging from 5% to 22%. (9,11,12,23) These effects suggest that potential bone gains from participation in high-impact sport in childhood and adolescence persist into adulthood after removal of the stimulus. However, to date, few studies have examined highimpact or weight-bearing training in childhood and followed the same individuals into adulthood after cessation of sport participation.…”

A Comparison of Body Composition between Eumenorrheic and Amenorrheic Adolescent Cross-Country Runners

“…however, compared to current gymnasts their BMD was lower (Kirchner, Lewis, & O'Connor, 1996). One possible conclusion that can be made from these findings is that the older gymnasts never attained the BMD of the current gymnasts; another is that some of the BMD gains of the older gymnasts have diminished over time.…”

Bone Quality and Quantity are Mediated by Mechanical Stimuli

“…Similarly, the throwing arm of baseball players has been shown to have increased bone mass and improved structure as compared with the non-throwing arm [9]. Running [10][11][12], jumping [13], gymnastics [14,15], weight lifting [16], and swimming [17,18] have all been shown to increase bone mass as compared to sedentary controls. This bone mass response seems to be dependent on the degree to which the activity is weight bearing [19,20], as well as the starting age, with pre-menarche girls having the greatest increase in bone mineral content [21].…”