Nutrition Has More Impact On Bone Mass And Strength Than Exercise

Peak bone mass is achieved in the human body during the early 20s after which it starts to decline, leading to question how to maximize the amount of bone when young to start from a better position when decline begins.

University of Michigan researchers have found that nutrition has a greater impact on bone mass and strength than exercise; adding to their findings even after exercise training had stopped the mice retained bone strength gains as long as they consumed a mineral supplemented diet.

Mice were tested after 8 weeks of training and supplemented diet or normal diet, then again after 8 weeks of detraining. As the amounts of bone does not always scale with or predict mechanical quality of tissues a full battery of mechanical assessments on the bone were performed.

According to the researchers consumption of longer term mineral supplemented diets lead to increased bone mass and strength; and ability to maintain gains after detraining. Although conducted in mice in regards to progression to humans diet is easier to carry on with age than continuation of exercise alone itself.

Diet alone has beneficial effects on bone without exercising. According to the researchers their data suggests that long term consumption of mineral supplemented diets may be beneficial in prevention of bone loss and strength with age even without exercise training; however combining the two amplifies the effect.

Other research has found increasing dietary calcium and phosphorous carries benefits, findings have not translated directly from mice to humans, but does give researchers a conceptual place to start.