Sustained effects of physical activity on bone health: Iowa Bone Development Study

Studies of youth athletics and interventions have shown some maintenance of bone mineral content (BMC; g) after cessation of training, but less is known about sustained effects of everyday physical activity (PA). Using a prospective cohort, this report examined potential effects of childhood PA on adolescent BMC. Participants (N = 156 boys, 170 girls) had exams at ages 5, 13, and 15. Body size and maturity were determined using anthropometry. Moderate-to-vigorous-intensity PA (MVPA) and vigorous-intensity PA (Vigorous PA) were measured using accelerometry. BMC of the spine and hip was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Mixed regression models tested whether PA at age 5 affected BMC at ages 13 and 15 after adjustment for age (year), height (cm), weight (kg), maturity (pre-peak height velocity or post), and activity level (min/day). Analysis was repeated to control for age 5 BMC. On average, boys participated in 59, 52, and 38 min of MVPA and 13, 17, and 11 min of Vigorous PA at ages 5, 13, and 15, respectively. MVPA (β = 0.799) and Vigorous PA (β = 1.338) at age 5 predicted later spine BMC (p < 0.05). MVPA (β = 0.480) at age 5 predicted hip BMC. Girls participated in 47, 33, and 26 min of MVPA and 10, 9 and 7 min of Vigorous PA at ages 5, 13, and 15, respectively. Neither MVPA nor Vigorous PA predicted later spine BMC. MVPA (β = 0.302) at age 5 predicted hip BMC. After controlling for BMC at age 5 as well as the other covariates, the effect of MVPA (β = 0.695) and Vigorous PA (β = 1.079) at age 5 remained significant for boys at the spine. For girls, neither MVPA nor Vigorous PA at age 5 predicted spine or hip BMC. Children's early PA appears to have a modest effect on adolescent BMC at the critical regions of spine and hip; benefits may be greater for geometric changes, which future studies should include.