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Side-to-side differences in bone strength in master jumpers and sprinters.
A Ireland1, M Korhonen, A Heinonen
1Institute for Biomedical Research into Human Movement and Health, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom. a.ireland@mmu.ac.uk
Journal of Musculoskeletal & Neuronal Interactions
|December 2, 2011
Summary
Master athletes in high-impact sports show bone structure differences favoring the take-off leg. This highlights how uneven loading from sports training enhances bone strength across the lifespan.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Bone Physiology
- Biomechanics
Background:
- Master athletes engage in sports with varying inter-leg loading differences.
- Previous research has not fully explored the skeletal and muscular adaptations to such asymmetrical training.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate side-to-side differences in tibial bone structure, calf muscle cross-sectional area (CSA), and hopping force.
- To investigate the impact of training in sports with unequal lower limb loading on these parameters.
Main Methods:
- Peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) was used to assess 51 master athletes.
- Measurements included tibial bone parameters, calf muscle CSA, and hopping forces.
- Analysis focused on side-to-side differences in various bone and muscle metrics.
Main Results:
- Significant side-to-side differences were observed in bone parameters, favoring the take-off leg in conditioned jumpers.
- Conditioned jumpers and triple jumpers exhibited higher values for cortical bone volume and cross-sectional moment of inertia (CSMI) compared to other groups.
Conclusions:
- Regular training in high-impact sports with uneven lower limb loading leads to skeletal adaptations independent of age and gender.
- High-impact exercise is effective in maintaining bone strength throughout the human lifespan.
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