The vertical jump test as a health promotion screening tool for predicting bone strength in young adults

Abstract

Osteoporosis is a condition when bones decrease in strength, become fragile, and break easily. Osteoporosis can impact an individual's quality of life and their ability to carry out everyday activities. It is recommended that men and women aged 70+ and 65+ undergo (expensive) clinical testing for osteoporosis. Once osteoporosis is diagnosed, it cannot be reversed/cured. Screening for those at-risk for osteoporosis (i.e., those with below-average bone strength) earlier in adulthood would be beneficial, as it would provide the opportunity for individuals to actively take steps to optimize peak bone strength and prevent the decline of bone strength to osteoporotic levels, rather than simply identifying osteoporosis after it is too late. It has been demonstrated that strong muscles and strong bones go hand-in-hand. Having strong, powerful muscles means that bones must be strong in order to withstand the pull that muscles exert. Testing muscle power could be a method for assessing bone strength. Three hundred and three individuals (18-22yrs; 136 males; 167 females) underwent clinical tests for bone strength and structure, and did a peak vertical jump test to assess muscle power. Relationships between muscle power and bone strength were examined, and probabilities were calculated to see if low muscle power predicted belowaverage bone strength. Results indicated the odds of having below-average bone strength decreased 5.4% for females and 3.6% for males per 50 Watts of power. These results suggest muscle power (from vertical jump height) to be a reasonably accurate method of identifying young adults with below-average bone strength.