Exercise more critical than calcium for strong bones

A recent study indicates that exercise is more important than calcium in developing strong bones in girls and young women.

Researchers at Penn State University and Johns Hopkins University found that even when girls took in far less calcium than the recommended daily allowance, bone strength was not significantly affected, said Tom Lloyd of Penn State's College of Medicine at the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.

However, when the girls were asked about their exercise habits, a strong correlation was found between exercise and bone strength. No one is encouraging teens to stop drinking milk, though. The researchers noted that the young women studied were still getting more calcium than many female teens.

Lloyd said that in tests over a decade, 17 per cent of bone strength could be attributed to exercise habits. What's more, girls with better muscle development also had stronger bones. "When we looked at their lean mass, what we saw was that a two-pound increase in lean mass was associated with a 21/2-per-cent increase in their bone strength," said Moira Petit, another Penn State researcher. (Lean body mass is the mass of the body minus the fat.)

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