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A 6-year exercise program improves skeletal traits without affecting fracture risk: a prospective controlled study in
Fredrik Detter1, Björn E Rosengren, Magnus Dencker
1Clinical and Molecular Osteoporosis Research Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences and Orthopedics, Lund University, and Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden.
Summary
Daily physical education (PE) for 6 years in children aged 6-9 improved bone mass and size in girls and bone mass in boys. This 6-year intervention did not significantly alter fracture risk in either sex.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Bone Health
- Exercise Science
- Public Health Interventions
Background:
- Most pediatric exercise studies on skeletal health are short-term and involve volunteers.
- Long-term, population-based studies are needed to understand exercise effects on bone structure and fractures in children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the 6-year effects of daily physical education (PE) on bone structure and incident fractures in children.
- To compare bone outcomes between children with daily PE and those with limited PE.
Main Methods:
- A 6-year controlled, population-based exercise intervention study involving children aged 6-9 at baseline.
- Intervention group: 40 minutes daily school PE; Control group: 60 minutes weekly PE.
- Bone mineral density (BMD), bone area, and bone structure were assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT).
Main Results:
- No significant difference in fracture rates between the intervention (21.7/1000 person-years) and control (19.3/1000 person-years) groups (RR 1.12).
- Girls in the intervention group showed greater annual gains in spine BMD, femoral neck bone mineral content (BMC), and femoral neck area.
- Girls also exhibited higher tibial cortical BMC and larger tibial cross-sectional area at follow-up. Boys showed improved spine BMD gain but no significant structural differences at follow-up.
Conclusions:
- Six years of daily school PE enhances bone mass and size in girls and bone mass in boys.
- The intervention did not significantly impact fracture risk in this pediatric population.
- This study highlights the long-term skeletal benefits of sustained physical activity in childhood.
Keywords:
BONE MINERAL CONTENT (BMC)BONE MINERAL DENSITY (BMD)BONE SIZEBOYSCHILDRENCONTROLLEDEXERCISEFRACTUREGIRLSGROWTHPHYSICAL ACTIVITYPROSPECTIVEpQCTMore Related Videos
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