Recreational physical activity and bone mass in elderly women

Background. To determine the relationship between recreational sport exercise and bone density in postmenopausal women. Methods. Design: Comparison of body composition and bone density in exercising and nonexercising postmenopausal women. Setting: Department of Human Morphology, School of Sport Medicine, Trieste University School of Medicine, Italy. Participants: forty-three postmenopausal women engaging in recreational physical activity and 8 sedentary controls. Measurements: Regional bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD) were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (Dexa) (Dexa Turboscan N.I.M.). Fat mass and fat-free mass were evaluated on the basis of skinfold thicknesses. Results. There were no significant differences in body composition and bone density between the exercising women and the controls. Bone density did not correlate with body composition, exercise status, and years since menopause. Higher weight and fat mass were associated with increased bone density in exercising women Conclusions. Exercise patterns performed by the study women were not effective in preventing postmenopausal bone loss.