Sports participation and muscle mass affect sex-related differences in bone mineral density between male and female adolescents

A longitudinal study

Authors

Keywords:

Adolescent, Bone and Bones, Growth and Development, Sports, Puberty

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Sports participation plays an important role in bone gain during childhood and adoles-cence. The aim here was to identify sex-related determinants of bone mineral density (BMD) differences between male and female adolescents, with emphasis on the role of sports participation. DESIGN AND SETTING: Longitudinal study conducted in a public university in Presidente Prudente, Brazil. METHODS: The sample comprised 48 adolescents aged 11-17 years, of both sexes, who were matched according to sex, age and sports participation. BMD was the main outcome, while muscle mass, sports participation, calendar age and biological maturation were treated as covariates. Participants were fol-lowed up after nine months. RESULTS: At baseline, BMD values were similar between the sexes. However, adjustment for covariates showed that BMD was higher among girls at all sites, with a contribution from lean soft tissue (LST) in the model (partial eta-squared, ES-r = 0.619 in upper limbs; 0.643 in lower limbs; 0.699 in spine; and 0.599 in whole body). Sports participation only explained the upper-limb variance (ES-r = 0.99). At the follow-up, the results resembled the baseline except in the lower limbs (P = 0.109), in which BMD was similar be-tween the groups. BMD gain over time was similar between girls and boys in all segments, and baseline LST affected upper-limb and whole-body BMD accrual (ES-r = 0.396 and 0.107, respectively). CONCLUSION: Whole-body and specific-site BMD differed between baseline and follow-up. However, BMD accrual was similar between the sexes, given that muscle mass constituted the most relevant determinant of the difference between them.

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Author Biographies

Rafael Luiz de Marco, Universidade Estadual Paulista

Master’s Student and Researcher of Physical Education, Laboratory of InVestigation in Exercise (LIVE), Department of Physical Education, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), and Postgraduate Student, Postgraduate Program on Physical Therapy, Department of Physical Therapy, UNESP, Presidente Prudente (SP), Brazil.

Han Kemper, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute

PhD. Emeritus Professor, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Ricardo Ribeiro Agostinete, Universidade Estadual Paulista

MSc. Researcher, Laboratory of InVestigation in Exercise (LIVE), Department of Physical Education, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Presidente Prudente (SP), Brazil

André Oliveira Werneck, Universidade Estadual Paulista

Master’s Student and Researcher, Laboratory of InVestigation in Exercise (LIVE), Department of Physical Education, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Presidente Prudente (SP), Brazil.

Santiago Maillane-Vanegas, Universidade Estadual Paulista

MSc. Researcher, Laboratory of InVestigation in Exercise (LIVE), Department of Physical Education, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), and Doctoral Student, Postgraduate Program on Physical Therapy, Department of Physical Therapy, UNESP, Presidente Prudente (SP), Brazil

Yuri da Silva Faustino-da-Silva, Universidade Estadual Paulista

Master’s Student and Researcher of Physical Education, Laboratory of InVestigation in Exercise (LIVE), Department of Physical Education, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), and Postgraduate Student, Postgraduate Program on Physical Therapy, Department of Physical Therapy, UNESP, Presidente Prudente (SP), Brazil

Isabella Exupério, Universidade Estadual Paulista

Master’s Student and Researcher of Physical Education, Laboratory of InVestigation in Exercise (LIVE), Department of Physical Education, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), and Postgraduate Student, Postgraduate Program on Physical Therapy, Department of Physical Therapy, UNESP, Presidente Prudente (SP), Brazil.

Rômulo Araújo Fernandes, Universidade Estadual Paulista

PhD. Associate Professor, Laboratory of InVestigation in Exercise (LIVE), Department of Physical Education, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP); Associate Professor, Postgraduate Program on Physical Therapy, Department of Physical Therapy, UNESP; and Associate Professor, Postgraduate Program on Movement Sciences, Department of Physical Education, UNESP, Presidente Prudente (SP), Brazil.

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Published

2019-02-07

How to Cite

1.
Marco RL de, Kemper H, Agostinete RR, Werneck AO, Maillane-Vanegas S, Faustino-da-Silva Y da S, Exupério I, Fernandes RA. Sports participation and muscle mass affect sex-related differences in bone mineral density between male and female adolescents: A longitudinal study. Sao Paulo Med J [Internet]. 2019 Feb. 7 [cited 2025 Mar. 14];137(1):75-81. Available from: https://periodicosapm.emnuvens.com.br/spmj/article/view/630

Issue

Vol. 137 No. 1 (2019)

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Original Article

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