Given that up to 90% of peak bone mass is reached by age 18 in females and age 20 in males, parents should encourage their kids to participate in bone-building sports. This means weight-bearing sports— such as soccer instead of swimming—during early puberty. High impact sports like gymnastics and volleyball also contribute to bones with about 10% greater bone mass.
Multi-directional sports (i.e., soccer, basketball) are better for bone health than one-directional sports (running, cycling). The jumping, cutting, and stopping that happens during soccer and basketball leads to stronger, more fracture-resistant bones. Track and field athletes who had participated in ball sports (such as soccer, volleyball, etc.) when they were younger had 50% fewer stress fractures than their peers who had not done so. Same goes for male runners who had played basketball; they had 82% fewer stress fractures. Military recruits who had played soccer and basketball when they were kids experienced fewer stress fractures during basic training. Parents want to carefully guide their kids into sports that optimize bone health!
Weight-conscious runners (and all dieters) impair their bone mass when they restrict calories to lose weight. A smart nutrition recommendation for dieting runners is to consume foods naturally rich in calcium, i.e., drink more dairy milk. Each cup of skim milk reduced risk for future stress fractures in by 62% when consumed by young female athletes. Runners at-risk of stress fractures should consume at least 1,500 milligrams of calcium/day + 800 IUs of vitamin D. Female military recruits who took calcium and D supplements for 8 weeks had 20% fewer stress fractures compared to unsupplemented peers. Adequate sleep also enhances bone health. How many high school and collegiate runners do you know who get enough sleep…?
Sports Nutritionist Nancy Clark, MS, RD counsels both casual and competitive athletes in the Boston-area (Newton; 617-795-1875). The 2020 6th edition of her Sports Nutrition Guidebook offers abundant food tips on how to eat to win. For more information, visit NancyClarkRD.com.