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Updated: May 20, 2026
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Scanning Skeletal Remains for Bone Mineral Density in Forensic Contexts
Published on: January 29, 2018
Bone density, structure and strength, and their determinants in aging sprint athletes
Marko T Korhonen1, Ari Heinonen, Jaana Siekkinen
1Department of Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland. marko.t.korhonen@jyu.fi
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
|July 11, 2012
Summary
Masters sprinters maintain superior bone strength, though some density decreases with age. Sprint training positively impacts bone structure, with mechanical power and body mass being key predictors of bone health.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Bone Physiology
- Gerontology
Background:
- Bone health is crucial for athletes, especially masters athletes who continue high-intensity training.
- Understanding age-related bone changes in elite athletes is vital for performance and injury prevention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate bone properties in masters sprinters across different age groups and compare them to younger controls.
- To explore the relationship between sport-specific biomechanics, muscle characteristics, training, and hormonal factors with bone parameters in sprinters.
Main Methods:
- Peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) was used to assess bone densitometry, structure, and strength at the tibia in 83 male sprinters (40-85 years) and 19 referents (31-45 years).
- Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was employed to compare groups, controlling for body mass and height.
Main Results:
- Athletes generally exhibited greater bone values than referents, particularly in tibia shaft bending strength (maximum moment of inertia).
- Older sprinters (≥70 years) showed a 12% decrease in distal tibia trabecular bone mineral density compared to younger sprinters, but other bone parameters did not differ significantly with age.
- Mechanical power during eccentric hopping and body mass were the strongest independent predictors of bone parameters after controlling for age, body mass, and height.
Conclusions:
- Regular sprint training confers positive, direction-specific benefits on bone strength and structure in middle-aged and older athletes.
- Individual variations in bone traits are influenced by a combination of exercise loading, body size, and hormonal profiles.
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