Photo by Bev Childress

Everyone needs to lift more, but women may need to plan for a longer term commitment to strength training than even men. That may be the takeaway from a study of skeletal mass (SM) and distribution in men and women aged 18-88 years-old. Using whole body magnetic image resonance, researchers examined the influence of age, gender, body weight, and height on SM and distribution in a large and diverse sample of 468 men and women.

Gender and Muscle Distribution

The data from the research shows that men had significantly more SM in comparison, both in absolute terms and relative to their total body mass. Men were also disproportionally more muscular in their upper bodies than women, as you can see from the data below.

Even accounting for differences in height and total weight, this shows men having an SM mass relative to body weight of 38%, whereas it is 31% in women. The influence of SM on bone density in older women is pretty well documented¹so, the lower SM percentage may be one explanation of the increased likelihood of osteoporosis in women.

Aging Diminishes Muscle Mass

Yes, we all tend to be familiar with the notion that as we grow older we are inevitably going to lose muscle. It’s interesting from the data below how that cut-off seems to occur around the age of 45 which might make you think about your training later in life.

I imagine that if you are the kind of person who was very active, built a strong muscular frame earlier in life then you can assume that even when there is a decline, it is from a higher point and so your lows are going to be higher than those of other people your age who didn’t have the same background.

However, for women, who run a greater risk of bone degeneration in later life, there is enough information here, and in other studies, that would mean a greater emphasis on strength training at a younger age, to build a muscular foundation, and continued commitment to strength training as you age.

You can’t change the ravages of aging, but you can work from a higher baseline at an earlier age, and you can ameliorate the decline as an older athlete.

Body Mass and Muscle Mass

There was one other interesting part of this research, the relationship between height and total weight to SM. While height didn’t seem to relate to muscle distribution in men, being taller did indicate a larger increase in lower body muscle.

There is a definitely a negative relationship between SM mass and body weight. The larger total body weight, the smaller the increase in SM mass. Essentially, your takeaway is that SM doesn’t contribute as much to weight as people get bigger. But, just note that these are statistical data models so, they’re not expressing a judgment or opinion of any particular lifestyle or approach. What we are seeing here is, people get older, people put on weight, and people lose muscle.

We can attribute the weight gain and muscle loss to everything from a more sedentary lifestyle to age-related disability to aging responses to growth hormones and androgens. However, this study eliminated subjects who were bed-ridden, had physical disabilities and/or chronic illness. The authors identified the fifth decade of life as being a transitionary point, a point at which the intervention of strength training could be beneficial in mitigating SM loss due to aging.

Older, Harder

It gets harder to be older. Physically it may be very challenging, particularly if you don’t have a good base from which to work off. That means, if you’re young, go for it, build a strong foundation for a healthier future because you will face decline.

If you are a woman, you need to think strong. You need to give the due commitment to strength training. It’s not something that has been culturally acceptable or really prevalent and even though we see more and more women active in CrossFit, weightlifting, strongman, powerlifting and the like, strength training is not as mainstream as it needs to be.

You start hitting 40, you have to work on your strength. That’s when it is really tough to start. That’s when it is really tough to maintain strength. However, the alternatives are not pleasant. For men, it may be slightly easier because of gender, but for women, it becomes imperative.

Weight-bearing exercises, strength training, lifting, having a strong grip, these are not macho positions, these could save women from bone diseases that seem to be more likely as they age.

Reference:

1. Bevier, W. C., Wiswell, R. A., Pyka, G. , Kozak, K. C., Newhall, K. M. and Marcus, R. (1989), Relationship of body composition, muscle strength, and aerobic capacity to bone mineral density in older men and women. J Bone Miner Res, 4: 421-432.

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Bone density is one of the primary factors involved in bone health, and it changes as the result of several stimuli, including activity level. One of the most deleterious and well-known factors in regards to bone density is age. With a high rate of bone breaks and fractures amongst the elderly and osteoporosis as a major symptom in postmenopausal women, bone density problems are common and alleviating them is a goal all people should strive for, ideally before the problem even starts.

Although studies indicate weight-bearing exercise helps improve bone density, we don’t know what kinds of weight-bearing exercises are the best. In a study this month in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, researchers looked into which weight-bearing exercises had the most benefit against osteoporosis and osteopenia.

Osteoporosis and osteopenia are both characterized by low bone density. Osteopenia is when bone density begins to slip and is a warning factor for osteoporosis. Bones with low density are more likely to break, but bone density isn’t the whole picture. In fact, high bone density may also put individuals at greater risk for injury, although it is not as common and likely results from some other disorder.

Another factor of great importance in bone health is bone mineral content. The content of the bone, not just the density, affects how supple and strong a bone is. The bone mineral called hydroxylapatite is comprised mainly of calcium and phosphorus and can make up as much as half of the weight of your bones.

The creation of new bone, and how dense, strong, and well-rounded it is in content can be at least partially manipulated by our activities. In the study in question, researchers chose the squat as the activity to be tested. The researchers took a group of older women who were all in a state of osteopenia or osteoporosis and more or less told them to go big or go home. The women did heavy squats with less than five reps per set and performed the concentric portion as fast as possible. The researchers also had a control group that followed the current exercise guidelines for osteoporosis.

At the end of twelve weeks, with three squatting sessions per week for the training group, the researchers were ready to compare the post-training results with the pre-training bone tests they performed. The squatting was successful at making the women stronger, with a 154% improvement in one rep max and a 52% improvement in rate of force development. Along with greater strength came greater bone mineral content and enzymatic markers for bone growth that were not present in the control group. Although bone mineral density showed no significant improvement, it did improve slightly. In the control group, bone mineral density was slightly reduced.

Because both strength and bone health prevent injuries, and probably help our longevity as well, strength training seems to a necessary and integral part of our health. And although more research is needed to know its effects on bone density, strength training probably prevents bone loss as well, even in people with osteoporosis.

References:

1. Mats Mosti, et. al., “Maximal Strength Training in Postmenopausal Women With Osteoporosis or Osteopenia,” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 27(10), 2013.

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

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There were 1,235 randomly selected premenopausal women who were included in the study. The researchers selected 58 of these women to complete an eight-week physical training course, and then compared them with 62 who did not participate in physical activity during those eight weeks. Upon completion of the study, the women who had more than two hours of physical activity per week had significantly lower levels of sclerostin, and had higher levels of IGF-1 compared to the women who had less than two hours of physical activity per week.¹

The research indicates that physical activity for premenopausal women is very effective at reducing a well-known bone inhibitor called sclerostin. Sclerostin is a glycoprotein produced almost entirely by the most abundant cells in human bones, which are known as osteocytes. When sclerostin is released, it travels to the surface of the bone where it interferes with developing bone cells.²

“Physical activity is good for bone health and results in lowering sclerostin, a known inhibitor of bone formation and enhancing IGF-1 levels, a positive effector on bone health,” said Mohammed-Salleh M. Ardawi, PhD, FRCPath, professor at the Center of Excellence for Osteoporosis Research and Faculty of Medicine at King Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia and lead researcher for this study. “We also found physical activity training that enhances mechanical loading in combination with anabolic therapeutic agents will have added positive effect on bone health, particularly bone formation.”³

“Physical activity training is conceptually simple, inexpensive, and can serve practical purposes including reducing the risk of low bone mass, osteoporosis, and consequently fractures,” said Ardawi. “Our study found that even minor changes in physical activity were associated with clear effects on serum levels of sclerostin, IGF-1 and bone turnover markers.”⁴

The discovery of the effects of physical activity on sclerostin is potentially good news to all women. Women often fall victim to disorders such as osteoporosis as they reach middle-age and beyond. The research from this study proves that the effects of bone loss can be mitigated or prevented with something as simple as physical activity.⁵

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

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Osteoporosis is a disease in the bones that leads to weak and porous bones, which result in fractures. As men age, they become more and more susceptible to this disease.² However, there is promise for those who are active in their youthful years. By being active earlier in life and producing bigger bones, these individuals may produce stronger bones, resulting in a shield against the disease. Osteoporosis seems to start at age 25 when bones start to lose tissue, and by age 50 or older the damage is usually evident.³

So what exercises or activities or good for building bone mass? Sports that require fast starts and jumping increase the load placed on the bones and are also good exercises to help increase bone mass. The recent study done in Sweden showed that basketball and volleyball are the best kinds of activities for doing so, followed by soccer and tennis.⁴ What about weight lifting? A recent study done in Wisconsin showed the back squat is a good tool for osteogenesis, or building bone mass. The optimal load for doing so was 120% of one’s estimated one-rep max with a reduced range of motion.⁵

As you can see, the benefits of an active lifestyle outweigh the alternative inactive choice. Not only does an active lifestyle benefit you now, but it literally “lays the foundation” for a better quality of life for years to come.

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Women are more prone to bone loss and bone disease than men. What’s more, healthy bones go hand in hand with strong muscles. Fortunately, studies show that a few wasted years won’t necessarily doom you to accelerated bone loss and disease. One study found women who are active for at least 47% of their adult life tend to have higher bone mass density than those who are less active, so it’s never too late to start. There are three stages when significant bone loss usually takes place.

Pregnancy

During child-bearing years, a healthy diet and regular weight-bearing exercise help prevent excessive bone loss. During pregnancy, the developing baby requires high amounts of calcium to form a healthy, strong skeleton, and if the baby doesn’t receive enough calcium from the mother’s diet, the next source is her bone stores.

Fortunately, the body has an amazing way of making up for calcium losses during pregnancy, and in most cases any lost bone mass is restored after delivery or breastfeeding. According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Muscoloskeletal and Skin Diseases, pregnancy also improves calcium absorption, which is just one other way the body protects women from excessive bone loss in the prenatal stages.

Breastfeeding

Women lose three to five percent of their overall bone mass during breastfeeding, for two primary reasons:

1. First, babies have high calcium needs, and if they breastfeed there’s only one place to get it.
2. Second, lactating women produce lower amounts of estrogen; estrogen helps protect against bone loss.

Once again, assuming your diet is healthy and balanced, bone loss that occurs during lactation normally resolves itself within six months of weaning.

Menopause

Bone loss accelerates once women hit menopause, due to the significant drop in estrogen that occurs when menstrual cycles end. According to The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, bone loss can begin well before the onset of menopause. During perimenopause, which can be as little as two or as many as eight years before the end of menstrual cycles, estrogen levels start to decrease. Between the ages of thirty and 35, your body will lose more bone mass than it can replace. That means women ages 35 and older should be particularly conscientious about maintaining strong, healthy bones.

So what are some good ways to build healthy bones? According to Patrice McKenney, CEO of the International Osteoporosis Foundation, “A nutritious calcium and protein-rich diet, sufficient vitamin D and daily weight-bearing exercise are essential components of a bone healthy lifestyle.” These recommendations may seem obvious, but the high rates of bone-related disease and injury in women suggests otherwise.

Experts agree that there are four primary ways to build healthy bones at any age:

1. Strive for calcium balance in your diet. Remember that high intake of some foods can actually inhibit calcium absorption. As noted in The Paleo Diet, eating too many legumes, hard cheeses, cereals, eggs, salty processed foods, and even meat and fish can cause high calcium excretion, which causes calcium imbalance and subsequent bone loss. Balance your calcium intake by eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables every day.
2. Take a daily calcium and vitamin D supplement to make sure you meet the daily requirements. Supplements are particularly beneficial if you’re at high risk for bone loss due to ethnicity (Caucasian and Asian women are more prone to bone loss than other populations), smoking, or certain medications, such as prednisone or cortisone.
3. Get at least twenty minutes of weight-bearing activity every day, especially if you’ve already reached menopause. As noted in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, lack of exercise accelerates normal bone loss rates in the menopausal stages.
4. Get some sun! Sunlight stimulates vitamin D production, which works with calcium to build strong bones. Adequate sun exposure is especially important if you don’t get enough vitamin D in your diet, although a combination of the two is ideal, as reiterated at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Ladies, let’s face it: the odds are against us when it comes to bone loss. According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, 61% of osteoporotic fractures occur in women. Menopause is inevitable, and hormones are just wacky sometimes. However, although bone loss may be a normal part of the aging process, it doesn’t have to cause problems. Prevent accelerated bone loss and related conditions with a healthy diet, regular exercise, sun exposure and supplements if needed.

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