Skeletal Benefits of Pre-menarcheal Gymnastics Are Retained After Activity Cessation

Overview

Journal Pediatr Exerc Sci

Specialties Orthopedics
Pediatrics

Date 2010 Mar 25

PMID 20332537

Citations 7

Authors

Tamara A Scerpella

Jodi N Dowthwaite

Nicole M Gero

Jill A Kanaley

Robert J Ploutz-Snyder

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Mechanical loading during childhood and adolescence may yield skeletal benefits that persist beyond activity cessation and menarche. At 1 year pre- and 2 years post-menarche, nondominant forearm areal bone mineral density (aBMD), bone mineral content (BMC) and projected area (area) were compared in gymnasts (n = 9), ex-gymnasts (n = 8) and nongymnasts (n = 13). At both observations, gymnasts and ex-gymnasts had higher forearm aBMD, BMC and area than nongymnasts. Gymnasts had higher postmenarcheal means than ex-gymnasts for all three parameters. Childhood mechanical loading yields skeletal advantages that persist at least 24 months after loading cessation and menarche. Continued postmenarcheal loading yields additional benefit.

Citing Articles

Effects of Gymnastics Activities on Bone Accrual during Growth: A Systematic Review.

Jurimae J, Gruodyte-Raciene R, Baxter-Jones A J Sports Sci Med. 2018; 17(2):245-258.

PMID: 29769826 PMC: 5950742.

Muscle function, dynamic loading, and femoral neck structure in pediatric females.

Dowthwaite J, Rosenbaum P, Sames C, Scerpella T Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2014; 46(5):911-9.

PMID: 24743106 PMC: 3992432. DOI: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000000191.

A school-based resistance intervention improves skeletal growth in adolescent females.

Bernardoni B, Thein-Nissenbaum J, Fast J, Day M, Li Q, Wang S Osteoporos Int. 2013; 25(3):1025-32.

PMID: 24114402 PMC: 4118457. DOI: 10.1007/s00198-013-2535-y.

Site-specific advantages in skeletal geometry and strength at the proximal femur and forearm in young female gymnasts.

Dowthwaite J, Rosenbaum P, Scerpella T Bone. 2012; 50(5):1173-83.

PMID: 22342799 PMC: 3340420. DOI: 10.1016/j.bone.2012.01.022.

Sustained skeletal benefit from childhood mechanical loading.

Scerpella T, Dowthwaite J, Rosenbaum P Osteoporos Int. 2010; 22(7):2205-10.

PMID: 20838772 PMC: 3209532. DOI: 10.1007/s00198-010-1373-4.

References

Nurmi-Lawton J, Baxter-Jones A, Mirwald R, Bishop J, Taylor P, Cooper C . Evidence of sustained skeletal benefits from impact-loading exercise in young females: a 3-year longitudinal study. J Bone Miner Res. 2004; 19(2):314-22. DOI: 10.1359/JBMR.0301222. View

Dowthwaite J, Hickman R, Kanaley J, Ploutz-Snyder R, Spadaro J, Scerpella T . Distal radius strength: a comparison of DXA-derived vs pQCT-measured parameters in adolescent females. J Clin Densitom. 2008; 12(1):42-53. DOI: 10.1016/j.jocd.2008.06.001. View

Nickols-Richardson S, OConnor P, Shapses S, Lewis R . Longitudinal bone mineral density changes in female child artistic gymnasts. J Bone Miner Res. 1999; 14(6):994-1002. DOI: 10.1359/jbmr.1999.14.6.994. View

Pollock N, Laing E, Modlesky C, OConnor P, Lewis R . Former college artistic gymnasts maintain higher BMD: a nine-year follow-up. Osteoporos Int. 2006; 17(11):1691-7. DOI: 10.1007/s00198-006-0181-3. View

Gunter K, Baxter-Jones A, Mirwald R, Almstedt H, Fuchs R, Durski S . Impact exercise increases BMC during growth: an 8-year longitudinal study. J Bone Miner Res. 2007; 23(7):986-93. PMC: 2679385. DOI: 10.1359/jbmr.071201. View

Scerpella T, Davenport M, Morganti C, Kanaley J, Johnson L . Dose related association of impact activity and bone mineral density in pre-pubertal girls. Calcif Tissue Int. 2002; 72(1):24-31. DOI: 10.1007/s00223-001-1131-x. View

Gunter K, Baxter-Jones A, Mirwald R, Almstedt H, Fuller A, Durski S . Jump starting skeletal health: a 4-year longitudinal study assessing the effects of jumping on skeletal development in pre and circum pubertal children. Bone. 2008; 42(4):710-8. DOI: 10.1016/j.bone.2008.01.002. View

Sabatier J, Guaydier-Souquieres G, Benmalek A, Marcelli C . Evolution of lumbar bone mineral content during adolescence and adulthood: a longitudinal study in 395 healthy females 10-24 years of age and 206 premenopausal women. Osteoporos Int. 2000; 9(6):476-82. DOI: 10.1007/s001980050173. View

Bass S, Pearce G, Bradney M, Hendrich E, Delmas P, Harding A . Exercise before puberty may confer residual benefits in bone density in adulthood: studies in active prepubertal and retired female gymnasts. J Bone Miner Res. 1998; 13(3):500-7. DOI: 10.1359/jbmr.1998.13.3.500. View

10.

Courteix D, Lespessailles E, Jaffre C, Obert P, Benhamou C . Bone material acquisition and somatic development in highly trained girl gymnasts. Acta Paediatr. 1999; 88(8):803-8. DOI: 10.1080/08035259950168694. View

11.

Kontulainen S, Sievanen H, Kannus P, Pasanen M, Vuori I . Effect of long-term impact-loading on mass, size, and estimated strength of humerus and radius of female racquet-sports players: a peripheral quantitative computed tomography study between young and old starters and controls. J Bone Miner Res. 2003; 18(2):352-9. DOI: 10.1359/jbmr.2003.18.2.352. View

12.

Bass S, Saxon L, Daly R, Turner C, Robling A, Seeman E . The effect of mechanical loading on the size and shape of bone in pre-, peri-, and postpubertal girls: a study in tennis players. J Bone Miner Res. 2002; 17(12):2274-80. DOI: 10.1359/jbmr.2002.17.12.2274. View

13.

Dowthwaite J, Flowers P, Spadaro J, Scerpella T . Bone geometry, density, and strength indices of the distal radius reflect loading via childhood gymnastic activity. J Clin Densitom. 2007; 10(1):65-75. PMC: 2048823. DOI: 10.1016/j.jocd.2006.10.003. View

14.

McNitt-Gray J, Hester D, Mathiyakom W, Munkasy B . Mechanical demand and multijoint control during landing depend on orientation of the body segments relative to the reaction force. J Biomech. 2001; 34(11):1471-82. DOI: 10.1016/s0021-9290(01)00110-5. View

15.

Bailey D . The Saskatchewan Pediatric Bone Mineral Accrual Study: bone mineral acquisition during the growing years. Int J Sports Med. 1997; 18 Suppl 3:S191-4. DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-972713. View

16.

Kannus P, Haapasalo H, Sankelo M, Sievanen H, Pasanen M, Heinonen A . Effect of starting age of physical activity on bone mass in the dominant arm of tennis and squash players. Ann Intern Med. 1995; 123(1):27-31. DOI: 10.7326/0003-4819-123-1-199507010-00003. View

17.

Laing E, Massoni J, Nickols-Richardson S, Modlesky C, OConnor P, Lewis R . A prospective study of bone mass and body composition in female adolescent gymnasts. J Pediatr. 2002; 141(2):211-6. DOI: 10.1067/mpd.2002.126599. View

18.

Laing E, Wilson A, Modlesky C, OConnor P, Hall D, Lewis R . Initial years of recreational artistic gymnastics training improves lumbar spine bone mineral accrual in 4- to 8-year-old females. J Bone Miner Res. 2005; 20(3):509-19. DOI: 10.1359/JBMR.041127. View

19.

Cole J, Scerpella T, van der Meulen M . Fan-beam densitometry of the growing skeleton: are we measuring what we think we are?. J Clin Densitom. 2005; 8(1):57-64. DOI: 10.1385/jcd:8:1:057. View

20.

Cadogan J, Blumsohn A, Barker M, Eastell R . A longitudinal study of bone gain in pubertal girls: anthropometric and biochemical correlates. J Bone Miner Res. 1998; 13(10):1602-12. DOI: 10.1359/jbmr.1998.13.10.1602. View